<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>The Vibe by Marine226</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24091030">The Vibe</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marine226/pseuds/Marine226'>Marine226</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hawaii Five-0 (2010)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Coming Out, Concussions, First Kiss, First Time, Gay Bar, M/M, Major Character Injury, Pre-Slash</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 22:34:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>36,794</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24091030</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marine226/pseuds/Marine226</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Danny” Steve’s voice greeted him, but there was something off about his voice, “I’m cold. Where are you?”</p><p>The hair on the back of Danny’s neck stood up as his suspicions were all but confirmed, something had happened to his partner. “What’s the last thing you remember, Steve?” he asked.</p><p>Whatever Steve said was lost in gibberish again, but he could've sworn he heard the name 'The Vibe' and it made Danny's blood run cold, because the club had featured on the news this morning and it was nothing good...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Steve McGarrett/Danny "Danno" Williams</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>155</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>461</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So, no surprise, I still suck at summaries. Anyway, hope you enjoy it!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Danny’s grin widened as he entered the Five-0 HQ. He couldn’t wait to see Steve’s face when he told him what Charlie had said to him last night – well part of what the young child had said anyway. He was far too smart for his own good.</p>
<p>
  <i> “But I already know what I want to do when I grow up” Charlie insisted, as he climbed into bed. </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i> “You do huh?” Danny asked with a small smile, sitting on the side of the bed. </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i> “Yeah, I want to be a cop like you and Uncle Steve!” Charlie exclaimed with a big smile. </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i> “Oh, you want to be a cop now?” Danny asked – last week he’d wanted to be a firefighter. </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i> “Yeah, just like you and Uncle Steve” Charlie responded, picking at the bedspread, “When are you and Uncle Steve going to get married?” </i>
</p>
<p>Thankfully Grace had come in before Danny could think of an answer. But it would have to be a conversation for later, maybe tonight. He wasn’t sure why Charlie thought he and Steve would be getting married, they weren’t even in a relationship. And they never would be, not when Steve was still incredibly straight. Danny’s feelings for the man were irrelevant, but apparently Charlie had picked up on them. And that was hilarious because he’d been working with Steve for nearly seven years, and the man hadn’t bought a clue.</p>
<p>Danny waltzed into the office, putting the uncomfortable part of his conversation with Charlie out of his mind. </p>
<p>“Good night, Danny?” Lou’s voice filtered through from his office.</p>
<p>Danny paused to lean in the doorway to Lou’s office, and plastered another grin on his face, “Charlie wants to be a cop when he grows up”</p>
<p>Lou chuckled loudly, “Didn’t he want to be a fire-truck last week?’</p>
<p>“I’m sure he meant fire-fighter” Danny corrected, “But this week, he wants to be a cop”</p>
<p>“I remember when my boy wanted to a cop” Lou told him, spinning in his chair, “I brought him to work for a day, got him to sit with the boys when they were filling out their paperwork. He soon gave up the idea”</p>
<p>Danny smiled, “Well as tempting as that is, I won’t be doing that with my boy. He’ll change his mind soon enough, but for now, he wants to follow in daddy’s footsteps”</p>
<p>Lou chuckled again, then looked around the office, “Suppose you’re looking for your partner in crime, he’s not in yet”</p>
<p>Danny frowned and glanced at Steve’s office, “Thought he said he needed to come in early to brief the Governor on something?”</p>
<p>Lou shrugged, “Well I got in an hour ago and he hasn’t shown”</p>
<p>“And his car isn’t in the lot either” Danny added, he’d noticed the lack of Steve’s truck in the carpark this morning, but figured the idiot probably ran to work or something stupid.</p>
<p>The ringing of his phone rudely interrupted the conversation and Danny gave Lou a wave as he left Lou’s office and went to his own. He picked the offending item out of his pocket and answered it, “Williams”</p>
<p>“Danny” Steve’s voice greeted him, but there was something off about his voice. Then Steve added, and Danny’s internal alarms started going off, because Steve said it in a sing-song voice, “Danno”</p>
<p>“What is the matter with you? Where are you?” Danny asked.</p>
<p>“I’m uh, I think I’m gonna be late” Steve answered. </p>
<p>“Where are you, Steven?” Danny asked again, because the man hadn’t answered the question.</p>
<p>“Uh… home?” Steve responded, but it sounded more like a question, “I forgot… I forgot to take the chicken out of the oven”</p>
<p>Danny frowned and went back into Lou’s office, giving him the signal to trace Steve’s phone. That was one way to get the man’s location. “What do you mean? Was there a fire?” Danny asked after putting the phone on speaker so Lou could listen in. </p>
<p>“I’m cold” Steve answered and gave a wet sounding cough, “Where are you, Danno?”</p>
<p>The hair on the back of Danny’s neck stood up as his suspicions were all but confirmed, something had happened to his partner. “What’s the last thing you remember, Steve?” he asked.</p>
<p>“Why’s my head wet?” Steve asked, followed by sounds which were probably the other man talking, but Danny couldn’t make heads or tails of it.</p>
<p> “Steven! Concentrate! What is the last thing you remember?” Danny asked, getting short with the other man.</p>
<p>“Uh” Steve breathed out, letting the silence go a little too long, before finally answering, “Kissing”</p>
<p>“Where?” Danny prompted, glancing at Lou for a moment to see how the trace was going. Lou shook his head and indicated they needed more time.</p>
<p>“The mouth” Steve responded, then chuckled, the sound turning into another wet cough.</p>
<p>Danny thumped his hand against the door in frustration, he knew his partner knew what he meant, but he was being difficult. So he asked slowly and clearly, “Where were you when you were kissing?”</p>
<p>Whatever Steve said was lost in gibberish again, and Danny had to restrain himself from yelling when he asked the man to repeat what he said clearly.</p>
<p>“ ‘m cold, Danno” Steve announced instead, and his voice was quieter, which was never a good sign. Then, before Danny could ask again, they heard the sounds of the phone falling, it hit several things before the noise stopped.</p>
<p>“Steven!” Danny called, seeing that the phone connection was still live. But they couldn’t make out if there was an answer.</p>
<p>“Got it!” Lou announced, standing up as he looked at his screen. But his expression grew concerned and he glanced at Danny.</p>
<p>“What? What’s the matter?” Danny asked.</p>
<p>“The address, it’s the same address as ‘The Vibe’” Lou told him.</p>
<p>Danny frowned, he’d heard something about the club this morning, and his worry only escalated when he connected the dots. He walked out into the main office space and turned on the TV, not even having to flick the channel to find what he wanted. The broadcaster’s voice filled the office:</p>
<p>
  <i>And if you’re just joining us, I’m at the scene just outside of the gay nightclub ‘The Vibe’, where the second floor collapsed last night, trapping dozens of partygoers inside. Rescue workers attended the scene at just after 11pm and have been here ever since, frantically trying to get to survivors.</i>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The ride to the scene of the collapse was tense and mostly spent in silence. They were nearly there when Lou said something, “He’s going to be okay you know.”</p>
<p>Danny sighed and watched Lou for a moment, “You don’t know that.”</p>
<p>Lou conceded the point with a nod of his head, “But he’s a fighter. If anyone can make it out of this in one piece it’s him.”</p>
<p>Danny sighed again and he waved his hands as he asked, “What was he doing there anyway?”</p>
<p>“It’s been a long time since I’ve been to a nightclub. But I imagine he was doing the same thing anyone who goes to a club does,” Lou responded.</p>
<p>“Lou, The Vibe is a gay club,” Danny reminded him.</p>
<p>“Then he was doing whatever people who go to gay clubs do!” Lou responded with a sigh of exasperation.</p>
<p>Danny thought about it for a moment, imagining Steve going to the club to pick up… It just didn’t seem like something he would do, for two reasons; firstly, as previously stated, the man was as straight as an arrow, and secondly, the man didn’t go clubbing. “Maybe he was meeting a friend there,” Danny suggested.</p>
<p>“Hey man, whatever helps you sleep at night,” Lou responded.</p>
<p>Danny was saved from saying anything as they pulled up to the scene. They could see that the second floor had well and truly collapsed, it was now mostly a bunch of rubble. Some of the walls had remained standing, which might allow an area for people trapped underneath. Then there was the roof of the building, which had also partially come down. The part that remained standing looked like it could fall at any moment.</p>
<p>Firefighters fitted with breathing apparatus cylinders were entering and exiting the structure through a small gap, which may have been a door once upon a time. They were assisting partygoers to get out, most of them had torn clothing and were covered in dust and blood.</p>
<p>There was a few forklifts and a crane, but they were sitting unused whilst survivors were being evacuated from the ground floor. Then there was a dozen people standing around by a bunch of laptops, and in the middle of the mayhem, they spotted Duke. </p>
<p>“Danny, Lou,” Duke said in greeting as they approached, “Come to lend a hand?”</p>
<p>“We think Steve’s in there,” Danny responded.</p>
<p>“What can you tell us?” Lou added.</p>
<p>“Second floor of the club collapsed at 2254h last night, bringing down part of the roof as well. That area there,” Duke pointed to the area of the roof that remained upright, “Is unstable and the engineers are worried it will collapse soon. The engineers are working with our guys and the firefighters to find the best, structurally sound way to get everyone out. We also have ground radar and we’re trying to locate survivors that way.</p>
<p>“Most of the survivors from the ground floor that we can get to have been evacuated. There is a pocket of survivors on the second floor that we are trying to get to, but it will be a few hours before we can reach them,” Duke explained, “The owner of the club has given us access to his database – he’s been recording details of everyone coming into the club – and I have a team going through the list so we can find out how many people are still inside.”</p>
<p>“Any evidence of foul play?” Lou asked.</p>
<p>“None that we’ve found so far,” Duke responded.</p>
<p>“What can we do to help?” Danny asked.</p>
<p>“John Stevens is the incident controller if you want to get in on the physical action here,” Duke replied, pointing out a firefighter who was talking on his radio and taking notes. “Otherwise, Detective Jeff White is leading the investigation into whether this was deliberate.”</p>
<p>“I’m surprised that hasn’t been picked up by one of the alphabet agencies,” Lou commented with a smirk.</p>
<p>Duke shrugged, “It’s only a matter of time.”</p>
<p>“Is Detective White here?” Danny asked, looking around the scene.</p>
<p>“He’s set himself up over there,” Duke responded, pointing to another area with a bunch of laptops, “Come on, I’ll introduce you.”</p>
<p> ********* </p>
<p>Steve’s chest felt like someone was sitting on it. That was the first thing he became aware of as he returned to consciousness.</p>
<p>“Eddie,” Steve gasped and tried to move his body to shift the dog.</p>
<p>When Eddie didn’t move, Steve opened his eyes, then frowned in confusion as he gazed around the black space he’d found himself in. He wasn’t at home, that was for sure, it was never this dark in his room. Then he remembered the roof caving in, making him look around the space desperately.</p>
<p>“Danny!” he shouted, ignoring the pain that came from his chest when he breathed deeply. Where was Danny? He was right beside him before the bomb went off.</p>
<p>“Danny!” he shouted again. He tried to get up, but his chest roared in so much pain, he nearly blacked out.</p>
<p>Groaning, he fumbled in his pocket for his phone, but it wasn’t there. He closed his eyes in frustration, then tried his other pockets, but all he found was a cigarette lighter. He didn’t know why he had the lighter, but he put that thought aside for the moment as he flicked it on and looked around the area he was in.</p>
<p>He was in a small area, no bigger than a closet and it was bordered on all sides by rubble. He brought the lighter to his chest and found that the reason he couldn’t move was because a metal shard of something was protruding from his chest. Figured. </p>
<p>He mentally counted to three, then tried to pull the shard out. He gritted his teeth at the pain, but as he pulled harder, a scream was ripped from his throat and the edges of his vision started to go black again. He stopped, resting back against the whatever he was leant against, and tried to recover his breath.</p>
<p>“Danny,” Steve called weakly, hoping his partner was okay. He groaned as he touched the back of his head, wondering why it felt warm and wet. </p>
<p>“Hold on, before we do this, I just want you to know one thing,” Danny said, sitting down next to him.</p>
<p>“Danno?” Steve asked, he hadn’t seen the man there before. </p>
<p>“Whatever happens, I really, really… from the bottom of my heart… hate you so much,” Danny responded, finishing with a laugh</p>
<p>Steve grinned back at him, “I love you too, Danno.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Shout out to my new Beta - Phoebe Miller - thank you again :)</p>
<p>Hope you like it! Let me know what you thought! :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Anything?” Danny asked as he looked at the video feed on Tani’s laptop.</p>
<p>“Nothing, everything looks normal,” Tani responded.</p>
<p>Danny sighed, then gave Lou a call, “Hey Lou, you got anything?”</p>
<p>“Funny you ask. The owner of the bar, Brendon Pratchett, was in debt up to his eyeballs,” Lou responded, “Was just about to call you.”</p>
<p>“But he’s only bought the place, this club can’t be more than a month old. I remember when it opened, they made a big deal about it,” Danny responded.</p>
<p>“Apparently he bit off more than he could chew. The advertising campaign alone put him firmly in the red. Then the club hasn’t been turning as much profit as he needed to make it worthwhile,” Lou explained, “He increased his insurance for the club last week.”</p>
<p>“And let me guess, it more than covers his debt?” Danny guessed.</p>
<p>“Sure does. Junior and I are heading to Pratchett’s place now,” Lou responded, “We’ll keep you in the loop. Tell us the minute you hear anything about Steve.”</p>
<p>“I will,” Danny responded, then hung up. He looked around the scene, wishing he could do more. The heavy machinery had moved in and was being directed ever so slowly by the engineers, as they tried to get to the bunch of survivors on the second floor.</p>
<p>He sighed, then on a whim, called Steve’s number. He hoped he’d be able to get through to the guy and maybe be able to figure where he was located. The sounds of the site faded into the background as the phone rang and rang and rang…</p>
<p>****</p>
<p>Steve scanned the room and realised he was in hospital. He didn’t know how he’d got there though. He concentrated for a moment and finally remembered getting hoisted out of the parking garage after Danny.</p>
<p>The thought of Danny made him desperately look around the room until he spotted the other man asleep in the chair beside his bed. Steve breathed a sigh of relief, at least his partner was okay. He didn’t know what he would do without him.</p>
<p>“You’re thinking too loudly,” came a murmur from his partner.</p>
<p>“Just trying to make up for some of the noise that you usually make, seems overly quiet in here,” Steve responded softly. Talking made his chest hurt in a way that suggested more than just broken ribs, and when he looked down, he saw a spot of blood on his torso. The more he stared at the spot, the bigger it got. “Danno?” he asked in confusion.</p>
<p>“He’s a good man, that one,” a different, but familiar voice told him. </p>
<p>Steve looked up and saw his father standing where Danny had been sitting before, “Dad?”</p>
<p>“You should hang on to him,” his dad responded, “He’s a keeper.”</p>
<p>Steve nodded in agreement, wondering when his dad had arrived. He couldn’t understand the loss he felt when he looked at his dad, but it was good to see the man again. </p>
<p>Suddenly, a phone ringing pierced the silence of the room. Steve relaxed against the pillows again, of course his dad would get a work call when he was trying to have a moment with him. After the second ring, Steve asked, “You going to get that?”</p>
<p>His father shrugged, “It’s not mine.”</p>
<p>Then Steve found himself standing in a green field, with his phone pressed against his ear.</p>
<p>“What happened?” the caller asked, with a thick Irish accent, “Put Anton on the phone.”</p>
<p>Steve recognised the landscape, but he couldn’t remember from where. “What? Just wait…” he tried to reason.</p>
<p>“My brother’s dead isn’t he?” the caller asked, and Steve felt impending doom. Anton wasn’t supposed to die, the guy shouldn’t have gone for the gun.</p>
<p>“Then so is your father,” the caller said. </p>
<p>Steve stared at the green hills in horror, he knew what was about to happen, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He’d been here before. He heard the sound of a gun going off and he screamed, “No!!!”</p>
<p>Suddenly, he was jerked back to his tomb in the underground car park. Every breath sent a wave of pain through this chest. He looked around in confusion, where was his dad?</p>
<p>“Dad?!!!” he shouted, staring around the space, but he was only greeted by blackness.</p>
<p>Then he heard a phone ringing and it was close by. He looked around until he finally saw a small glow to his left. Steve leant to the side and tried to reach it, but as soon as he moved, spikes of pain came from his torso.</p>
<p>Steve groaned in pain, briefly wondering where the pain was coming from. Then he realised his watch was vibrating too and a quick glance showed that Danny was calling him. That’s when he remembered that Danny had bought the watch for him a few months ago as a gift, ‘just because’.</p>
<p>Steve grunted and pressed the green button, “Danno?!”</p>
<p>He heard something muted in response, but it was too quiet and he couldn’t make it out.</p>
<p>“Danny!” Steve shouted and tried to pick up the phone again, but again, the move sent a sharp pain from his side. He groaned and lay back, wondering why his torso was in so much pain. </p>
<p>He searched his pockets for his phone, but only came up with a cigarette lighter. Why was there a lighter in his pocket? He didn’t smoke. He flicked it on and looked around the space.</p>
<p>The area he was in was the size of a closet and it covered it what looked like rubble. He frowned and brought the lighter to his torso and found that the reason his chest hurt was because a metal shard of something was protruding from it.  </p>
<p>He flicked the lighter off and put it in his pocket. He took as deep a breath as he could and tried to pull the shard out. He screamed as the pain intensified, then the world went black as he passed out.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks again to Phoebe! :)</p>
<p>Hope you liked it! Let me know what you thought!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lou banged on the door to Pratchett’s house again, then signalled Junior to go around the back. He looked through the windows, but couldn’t see anything. </p>
<p>He was about to bang on the door again when he heard glass smash. He withdrew his weapon and kicked the door open, “Five-0!” he announced.</p>
<p>Lou cleared half of the house before meeting up with Junior. “You find him?” Lou asked softly.</p>
<p>“Nah, I thought I heard someone in distress, so broke the window,” Junior explained.</p>
<p>Together they cleared the rest of the house, ending up in the garage, which was empty. Lou sighed and put his weapon away, “Looks like he’s done a runner.”</p>
<p>Junior was already taking out his phone, “I’ll put out a BOLO.” </p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>Steve was floating. He was drifting down a river; it wasn’t flowing fast, just at a steady pace. He watched the sky and tried to make out shapes in the clouds. He hummed and closed his eyes.</p>
<p>“Are you trying to meditate again?” Danny asked him.</p>
<p>“I was doing pretty well before you interrupted me,” Steve responded and opened his eyes. They were sitting on their deckchairs by the beach at Steve’s house, watching the sunset. He looked at his partner and noted the lines around his eyes and his greying hair, “You got old.”</p>
<p>“Looked in the mirror lately, babe?” </p>
<p>Steve chuckled and looked back at the ocean. The sky was a sparkling purple colour and Steve wondered if there was an eclipse. “I think we should get married,” Steve commented.</p>
<p>Danny blinked at him for a moment, “What? Again?”</p>
<p>Steve frowned, he didn’t remember the wedding. But he did remember staring at Danny and thinking he looked amazing in his tux. He remembered dancing with the other man too. Steve shook off the strange thoughts and responded, “Well, let’s renew our vows.”</p>
<p>“Babe, we’ve only been married like, 5 minutes,” Danny told him. </p>
<p>“I get the feeling it’s been a little longer than that,” Steve remarked.</p>
<p>****</p>
<p>“Danny!” Tani called as she jogged over to him, looking overly excited.</p>
<p>“Did you find something?” Danny asked, looking up from the laptop.</p>
<p>“Well, not from the videos. I was just talking to the technicians who look after the radar. Did they tell you how they found the group of survivors on the second floor?” Tani asked.</p>
<p>“No, but I think you’re about to,” Danny answered, raising his eyebrow in impatience.</p>
<p>“They only located them after someone on the ground asked them to look in that area. Apparently they heard someone banging on pipes,” Tani responded.</p>
<p>“Well, that’s what you do when you have a building come down on top of you, right? To draw attention to where you are,” Danny told her, remembering his own experience pretty vividly.</p>
<p>“Yes, well they were banging on the pipes in morse code,” Tani replied, tilting her head at him as though she knew what he was thinking.</p>
<p>“Morse code?” Danny repeated, standing up, “I’d bet there aren't too many people who know morse code down there. How close are they to getting to them?”</p>
<p>“They’re nearly there,” Tani told him.</p>
<p>Danny closed the laptop and jogged to where the workers had gathered as they waited to help remove survivors from the scene. Because this was still a rescue mission. He would not allow himself to think otherwise. Watching a worker give a crane operator the signal to remove a large block of concrete away from the pile, he made a decision.</p>
<p>Danny pushed up his sleeves and went in to help. No way was he standing back as strangers did all the heavy lifting to rescue his partner.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Many thanks to Phoebe, you just have a way with words :D</p>
<p>Hope you like it! Let me know what you thought!:P</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Steve sat on a couch with Danny, but there was something off about the whole thing. It wasn’t either of their couches for a start. It was a cheap and nasty one, designed to look expensive. And the other thing was that their focus was on someone else, not each other.</p><p>The someone else was Junior. Except Junior wasn’t Junior, he was different. Whilst he looked the same, it was like he was filling in for another character.</p><p>“And welcome back to Wife Swap!” Junior said to someone they couldn’t see, in a gameshow voice.</p><p>“Danno?” Steve asked, frowning at his partner.</p><p>“It’s fine, babe. It’s not for much longer,” Danny reassured him, squeezing his knee.</p><p>“What…?” Steve stopped speaking as he realised that Rachel and Catherine were sitting on a similar looking couch, also facing Junior. “Danny, what’s going on?” he asked.</p><p>Danny finally turned to him, “We’re only doing it to fund Charlie’s graduation, remember? I’m going to live with Rachel for a few weeks and Catherine’s going to live with you.”</p><p>“But… Wait, Rachel and Catherine are together?” Steve asked.</p><p>“What’s the matter with you? They got married before we did!” Danny responded.</p><p>Before that could sink in, Danny and Rachel were kissing. Steve hadn’t even seen, or felt for that matter, Danny get off the couch.</p><p>Then the world shook, followed by what sounded like an explosion. Steve hit the ground and covered his face with his arms, shouting, “Take cover!!!”</p><p>“It’s fine, son,” Joe told him.</p><p>Steve lowered his arms and raised his face, looking around in bewilderment. They were in a small opening in the dense jungle. Joe was sitting on a rock, cutting slices off an apple with a knife. The rest of the team were half sitting, half lying on the ground as they leant against their packs. One of them even looked like he was asleep.</p><p>“They don’t know we’re here,” Joe added, even as there was another explosion just outside the clearing.</p><p>“Tell that to them!” Steve yelled.</p><p>Then there was another blast, close enough that they were sprayed with rocks and dirt. Steve covered his head again and closed his eyes. When he finally opened them again, he was met with blackness. He briefly wondered if he was dead, but forgot about that fast, as he heard a rumble and he was showered with more stones and dirt.</p><p>“Danny?” Steve asked, wondering where they were now. </p><p>He searched his pockets for his flashlight, but came up with a lighter instead. He flicked it on and examined the area he was in. As if seeing the dust in the air reminded his lungs that it was hard to breathe, he began coughing. Each cough sent his body into a spasm as he felt pain like he hadn’t felt before. </p><p>He tried to clear his chest, but the harder he coughed, the more difficult it was to breathe. Eventually something dislodged and he coughed it up. It had the taste of iron, meaning it was probably blood. He spat it out and tried to regulate his breathing.</p><p>He flicked the lighter back on as there was another rumble, followed by more stones and dust getting distrubed.</p><p>“Hey! I’m down here!!!” Steve yelled, then dissolved into another coughing fit.</p><p>***** </p><p>Danny waited with bated breath as the first of the survivors climbed out of the hole. There was no sign of Steve, but this didn't worry Danny. He knew his best friend would wait until he was the last one out of that godforsaken place.</p><p>The rescuers moved as one, helping each of the survivors as they came out. Paramedics tended to those who needed it, which was everyone to an extent. All of them were covered in dust, and most had blood on their face or their arms. </p><p>“I’m the last one,” a guy announced as he crawled out of the hole and stood up. He had blond, shaggy hair, and was muscular, without being over the top. The man had a thick Australian accent, but that wasn’t what caught Danny’s attention. The man had the same kind of air about him that Steve did.</p><p>“Are you sure? There’s gotta be one more down there,” Danny responded, “His name’s Steve. Are you sure he’s not down there?”</p><p>“You know Steve McGarrett?” the guy asked, shaking off the blanket someone was trying to put around his shoulders.</p><p>“Yeah, he’s… he’s my partner,” Danny replied.</p><p>“You’re Danny, right?” </p><p>Danny frowned, “Yeah, Danny Williams.”</p><p>“Steve’s told me a lot about you,” the guy told him with a genuine smile, then he frowned and gestured back to the rubble that used to be a club, “He hasn’t come out yet?”</p><p>Danny gave the man a quizzical look, then opened his mouth to respond. But the guy quickly jumped in, awkwardly adding, “Of the club, that is.”</p><p>“Uh… no, on uh, both counts,” Danny responded, just as awkwardly. He told himself that he wasn’t being weird because of the man’s incredible attractiveness. Maybe it was the way the guy held himself together. Something about the man screamed military, but in an unconventional way. “Special forces?” Danny asked without realizing he'd even spoken as this wasn't exactly a priority right now.</p><p>“That’s classified,” the man responded, then looked around, “You got blueprints of this place?”</p><p>“Yeah, the radar guys have some,” Danny replied, leading the totally-special-forces dude to where the search and rescue department had set up shop. “So uh, you know my name, but I don’t know yours,” Danny said as they walked.</p><p>“You can call me Sam,” the guy responded.</p><p>“Is that even your real name?” Danny asked.</p><p>Sam grinned, “It’s real enough.”</p><p>Danny returned the grin as they entered the area that the search and rescue department had taken over. He showed Sam the layout of the building and watched as he worked something out. 

</p><p>Then Sam turned to one of the radar guys, “Mate, you got this bit mapped out?”</p><p>“What’s going on?” Danny asked.</p><p>“This is where I last saw Steve,” special forces ‘it’s classified’ guy pointed to a spot on the map, then explained, “I went to the bar, he stayed there. Unless… well, he could have gone to the bathroom…”</p><p>“And lose your table?” Danny asked.</p><p>Sam shrugged, “It wasn’t that busy, besides, we were on and off the dance floor anyway. Your partner sure can dance. He’s just a little self-conscious.”</p><p>Danny smiled, “Sounds like the guy I know.”</p><p>“Sir? I’ve got the map up,” the radar technician interrupted.</p><p>Danny and Sam looked over the technician’s shoulder as he showed them the area, “Looks like someone is trapped over here, and that other area, you mentioned the bathroom? Well, I don’t like their chances.” </p><p>The screen showed some very small spaces, but they wouldn’t have been big enough for someone to survive in. The biggest spot would be no bigger than a big backpack. It was clear that there had been people in the bathroom at the time of the collapse, but they couldn’t think about that right now. </p><p>“Show us that other spot again,” Danny directed, gesturing with his hand as though scrolling himself.</p><p>The picture came up again, and this time they could see a person laying in a small space, the size of a small hatchback. </p><p>“That has to be him,” Sam commented, “Is there any way to get to him?”</p><p>Sam directed the radar operator to pan the camera this way, then zoom in, then out, then pan and pan…. Danny let the commands fade into the background as he thought about Steve. Time was running out for him. He hadn’t sounded too good when they spoke on the phone… and that was first thing this morning. That was hours ago now, which meant… He’d been trapped for far too long.</p><p>Danny watched definitely-special-forces, call-me-Sam hoping he had some tricks up his sleeve. He didn’t like Steve’s chances if he didn’t.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you like it! Let me know what you thought! :)</p><p>Big shout out to Phoebe again, you're awesome!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I’m going in,” Sam announced.</p>
<p>The comment was enough to snap Danny out of his thoughts. He stared at the other man in disbelief, “What do you mean you’re going in? There is no way to get in, otherwise the people in there would get out! Do I need to demonstrate the concept of a collapsed building to you with a pack of cards? Huh? Jeez, what is wrong with you?!”</p>
<p>“Do you have a better idea?” Sam asked, putting his hands on his hips.</p>
<p>“No I don’t, but going – ”</p>
<p>“Then I’m going in,” Sam interrupted, “I can get to Steve’s position, some parts are a bit tight, but I can manage it.”</p>
<p>“And how exactly are you going to get him out? He’s probably broken every bone in his body - ” Danny stopped talking and had to take a deep breath as he pictured the worst case scenario. He’d heard stories of people who had survived these events but were now quadriplegics. <i>What if he slipped into a coma or became brain dead?</i> It would be on Danny to make the decision of whether Steve relied on machines to keep him alive.</p>
<p>Danny shook off the morose thoughts and finished in a defeated tone, “You can’t just bring him back the way you came. He’s… he probably isn’t stable enough to move anyway.”</p>
<p>“I’ll figure it out,” Sam responded, putting his hand on Danny’s shoulder in a gesture of support, “I’m not leaving him in there alone whilst these people get their act together and get to him.”</p>
<p>Danny nodded in agreement, then made a decision. Every fibre in his being screamed at him that it was a bad idea, but he couldn’t <i>not</i> do it. “I’m coming with you,” he stated.</p>
<p>“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Sam responded, “I’m trained for this kind of scenario, you’re not.”</p>
<p>“I don’t need your approval!” Danny told him, ready for a fight. He’d be damned if he let some stranger tell him what he could or couldn’t do, especially when it involved his partner.</p>
<p>Sam gave him an assessing look, then nodded, “Okay, saddle up, we leave in 5.”</p>
<p>Danny stood for a moment, just watching as Sam walked off to get some equipment. “What a stupid idea,” he muttered to himself, but he knew he had to do it.</p>
<p>He sighed and went to locate a hard hat for himself, but instead found himself sidelined by Tani. Tani had a concerned look on her face, which meant bad news. Danny felt his heart plummet as he feared the worst.</p>
<p>“You’re going in there, aren’t you?” Tani asked him, then gestured back to Sam, “I saw the two of you conspiring.”</p>
<p>“We weren’t conspiring,” Danny argued.</p>
<p>“I don’t suppose I can talk you out of it?” Tani asked.</p>
<p>“I’m doing a good enough job for both of us,” Danny admitted, “But no, I’m going in.”</p>
<p>“Then good luck,” Tani responded, hugging him. Then she pulled away and appraised him, “You can’t go in like that.”</p>
<p>“Like what? This is fine,” Danny said, looking down at himself.</p>
<p>“Your shirt will be restrictive in there, Danny, you need to be able to move easily. And do you have any appropriate footwear?”</p>
<p>“There’s some in the car,” Danny responded as he started heading in that direction.</p>
<p>“I’ll get you some equipment,” Tani told him, then went in the opposite direction.</p>
<p>Danny ran to the car and quickly changed into some sneakers. Then he went into the trunk for his change of clothes, before realising that he’d worn them after his impromptu swim yesterday and hadn’t replaced them. Yesterday…it felt like such a long time ago.</p>
<p>Rather than getting side-tracked by his thoughts, Danny grabbed Steve’s bag and found a clean t-shirt. He found himself scrunching the fabric in his fists and inhaling the scent that was purely Steve. He missed his partner already. He promised himself that when this was over, he would tell Steve how he felt. He couldn’t pretend he didn’t have feelings for him, not anymore. </p>
<p>With that in mind, Danny took off his shirt and pulled Steve’s on. He ran back to where Tani and Sam were talking together, discussing equipment.</p>
<p>“All set?” Sam asked, as Danny approached.</p>
<p>“Oh here,” Tani said, handing him a hard hat and a small rucksack.</p>
<p>Danny put the hat on, ignoring Sam’s raised eyebrow, and took the bag, “What’s this?”</p>
<p>“Medical bag,” Sam answered, “We should get moving.”</p>
<p>“Just remember, if you see a light, you need to go <i>towards it</i>,” Tani told Danny.</p>
<p>“Thanks, I’ll remember that.”</p>
<p>“Bring him home,” Tani said as they walked to the opening where the front door to the building used to be.</p>
<p>They stopped at the entrance and Sam gave Danny a harness, then explained when Danny gave him a disbelieving look, “In case one of us gets trapped under some rubble, we’ll have a rope connecting us. It’s pretty unstable in there.”</p>
<p>Danny closed his eyes for a moment, but did as he was told. He opened his eyes again and watched Sam tie the rope around the front part of the harness. He wanted to ask about the kind of knot he was using to take his mind off what he was about to do. But then he saw the small black hole in front of them and he took an involuntary step backwards. Only Sam’s grip on his harness stopped him from moving any further.</p>
<p>“You good?” Sam asked, frowning at him with concern.</p>
<p>“I don’t like small spaces,” Danny responded, trying to focus on Sam, rather than the small, tight tunnel they were about to try to navigate. “Oh god, what am I doing?” he heard himself asking.</p>
<p>Sam just nodded at him and his fingers paused in the middle of the knot, “Steve mentioned you’re claustrophobic. You don’t have to do this you know.”</p>
<p>“Yes I do, he would do it if it was me in there,” Danny responded.</p>
<p>“You’re not him. And this isn’t a competition. Nobody would think any less of you if – ”</p>
<p>“I’m going in,” Danny told him determinedly, he just wished he felt more confident about this.</p>
<p>Sam finished tying the knot and gave it a good tug, happy when it held. “Last chance,” Sam said as he tied the other end of the rope to his own harness.</p>
<p>“Stop asking or I’ll take you up on it,” Danny muttered, closing his eyes and bouncing on the toes of his feet with nervousness.</p>
<p>Sam grinned, “Okay then. Tell me about when you first met Steve.”</p>
<p>**** </p>
<p>“Danny?” Steve murmured as he opened his eyes. He didn’t remember closing them. </p>
<p>The room he was in was black, not even the moon penetrated it. He felt into his pocket to find his phone, but only came across a lighter. He frowned, had he been smoking? His chest had that tight sensation, so maybe. </p>
<p>He flicked the lighter on, but his fingers slipped and he dropped it. Steve groaned and felt around on the floor, trying to find the… But he couldn’t remember what. He had been trying to find something. Or had he? There was something important he had to do.</p>
<p>He ran his thumb over his fingers and wondered why he had pins and needles. It felt like he’d been… Steve slowly blinked and looked around the hole he was in.</p>
<p>“Danno?” he asked softly.</p>
<p>He had wanted to take Danny to lunch. There was a new place he wanted to check out, they cooked a great steak and… </p>
<p>Steve licked his lips and wondered why his mouth was watering. He must have bitten his tongue because he could taste blood. Danny was always giving his grief about how often he bit his tongue and blamed it on him eating like an animal. A carnivorous…</p>
<p>Steve frowned at the mental picture of a tiger. “Like a tiger,” he murmured, then gave a soft chuckle.</p>
<p>
  <i>Why was he laughing? Had someone told a joke? Where was Danny?</i>
</p>
<p>Steve closed his eyes for a moment, he was so tired. And cold. He couldn’t understand why he was so cold, it never got cold in Hawaii. I wished he was back in Hawaii.</p>
<p>Steve felt himself drifting and let himself be pulled back into the darkness.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you like it! Let me know what you thought! :)</p>
<p>Thanks again to Phoebe!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Danny focused on the beam of light from his headlight, trying to ignore the fact that they were in a very small space. He followed Sam as he crawled through a passageway made by walls that used to be part of the building. He was panting heavily and it was only partly from the exertion of moving through this hellhole.</p>
<p>“So what about you? How did you meet Steve?” Danny asked, keen to think about anything other than their current situation.</p>
<p>Sam held up his hand to signal silence as he listened to his radio, “Sorry, they have a crew working on the other end.”</p>
<p>Danny stopped and glared at his back, “They know we’re in here, right?”</p>
<p>“Of course,” Sam responded easily, “They just don’t know where exactly.”</p>
<p>“So they’re not going to try to bulldoze this place with us inside it?!” Danny exclaimed, not sure if he entirely believed the other man. He was making the same face that Steve made when he was doing something he wasn’t supposed to be doing.</p>
<p>“No, they won’t do that,” Sam answered and stood up as the passageway opened a bit. He directed his flashlight to the right, “This way. Sorry what did you say before?”</p>
<p>“Before or after I asked if this will get us killed?” Danny grumbled as he followed him.</p>
<p>“Before.”</p>
<p>“I asked how you know Steve.”</p>
<p>“It’s classified,” Sam responded as he accidentally dislodged a few small bits of concrete. He blinked away the dust and said, “Watch your step here, it’s a bit unstable.”</p>
<p>“You’re unstable,” Danny replied, then huffed out a breath, “And declassify it.”</p>
<p>“We were on tour together in…. It was a joint US-Australian mission,” Sam eventually told him.</p>
<p>“See? That wasn’t so hard now, was it?” Danny asked, but it was more of a statement. “Okay, then what? You were on tour together, so you became fast friends?”</p>
<p>“Yep.”</p>
<p>Danny shook his head at the other man, he made Steve seem like a chatty-Kathy. “And you just thought that you would, you know, drop by Hawaii and say hi?” he asked.</p>
<p>“Pretty much, yeah,” Sam responded, then he glanced back at Danny and saw something on his face. Whether it was anxiety or frustration, Danny didn’t know. But whatever it was, it made Sam add, “I’m getting deployed again in two weeks, the boss told us to go where we needed to go, do what we needed to do….”</p>
<p>“So that’s when you thought of Hawaii,” Danny said, anticipating the end of the conversation as Sam turned back and started moving again.</p>
<p>Sam nodded, “Yeah, nah, my brother lives in California. Thought I’d stop by here to say hi to Steve on the way.”</p>
<p>“And he brought you here?” Danny asked, before he could stop himself. But he really wanted to know.</p>
<p>Sam chuckled, “I asked him to show me the nightlife, something worth seeing. He told me this place is new.”</p>
<p>“Did he tell you it’s a gay nightclub?” Danny asked after a moment. </p>
<p>Sam shrugged and stopped again as he looked at the next part of their journey, “He didn’t, but he didn’t need to. I came out to him years ago.”</p>
<p>“Oh,” Danny said stupidly. He couldn’t help but feel disappointed that the reason they had come here was because of Sam’s sexuality, not Steve’s. “Sorry, I thought – ”</p>
<p>“Hey, don’t worry about it. I came to grips with that part of myself a long time ago,” Sam interrupted, with a meaningful look. Danny frowned, wondering what he meant, but before he could get clarification, Sam asked, “What are your climbing skills like?”</p>
<p>“Huh?” </p>
<p>Sam indicated the way ahead with a nod of his head, “We need to get up there. Have you ever been rock climbing?”</p>
<p>“I have, yeah,” Danny murmured as he looked at the precarious looking wall that they needed to get to the top of. It was only about eight feet tall, but it had a shear face and it looked unachievable. One side of the wall was covered in smaller slabs of concrete, but they looked unsteady. The other side had a few pipes sticking out of it, but otherwise looked flush. He could see a small opening at the highest point, apparently that was their goal. </p>
<p>“Well, it’s nothing like rock climbing. Do you want to go first?” Sam asked.</p>
<p>“There is no way we can get up there!” Danny exclaimed, “What is the matter with you? Have you lost your mind?! I mean, did the paramedics even look you over, maybe you hit your head!”</p>
<p>“Breathe, Danny,” Sam tried to calm him down.</p>
<p>“Don’t tell me to breathe!” Danny yelled. That’s when he realised that Sam was right, it was hard to breathe, there wasn’t enough oxygen in here. “Oh my god, we’re going to die in here. And Steve, he’s still there all alone, but he won’t even know we’re coming for him because we’re going to die of oxygen deprivation.”</p>
<p>Danny let out a hysterical chuckle, not caring about how he might seem to Sam.</p>
<p>“Hey, what did I tell you? We’re going to be fine. And there’s plenty of oxygen in here,” Sam responded.</p>
<p>“Doesn’t seem like it,” Danny told him as he sat down and tried to stop panting.</p>
<p>“You’ve got a couple of kids, right? Tell me about them,” Sam suddenly asked.</p>
<p>Danny gave him an odd look, wondering how he knew about them, but obliged with an answer, “Yeah, a daughter, Gracie, she’s nearly fifteen. She’s growing up so fast. And Charlie, my boy, he’s six. He’s just started school and he comes home with – oh, I see what you’re doing.”</p>
<p>Sam grinned at him, “That’s good. Tell me about the stupidest thing Steve has done whilst you’ve known him.”</p>
<p>“There are so many things. I mean, getting set up for murder wasn’t his brightest moment, but…” Danny trailed off, then asked, “Do you…? I mean, does Steve…?”</p>
<p>“That’s a question for Steve,” Sam said whilst Danny tried to regroup his thoughts.</p>
<p>“But you and Steve? Is that…? Are you…?” Danny tried again.</p>
<p>“No. But again, you need to talk to Steve about all this,” Sam responded cryptically. Then he looked back up at the wall, “Okay, we going to do this or what? Because time is running out on us. I can go first, show you how to get up, then coach you from the top?”</p>
<p>“Okay,” Danny said, feeling a bit better, but he still would rather be anywhere else but here.</p>
<p>He watched as Sam virtually scaled the wall and somehow got to the top, making it look effortless. “Okay, one step at a time. I got you,” Sam called.</p>
<p>Danny took a deep breath and started climbing. He let himself be guided by Sam’s voice, grabbing onto pipes and small juts in the wall to get up. Then before he knew it, he was at the top.</p>
<p>“Well done,” Sam said and clapped him on the back.</p>
<p>Danny stayed on all fours for a moment, trying to get his breath back. “Tell me we’re close,” he pleaded.</p>
<p>But before Sam could answer, they heard a rumble and the ground shook for a moment. </p>
<p>“Take cover!” Sam shouted.</p>
<p>Danny curled himself into a ball and covered his head with his arms as he felt the building shift and debris fell on top of him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you liked it! Let me know what you thought!</p>
<p>Thanks again to Phoebe!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Danny groaned and squinted his eyes open. He was disorientated for a moment, wondering where the hell he was. But it all came rushing back in such a hurry that he sat bolt upright with a shout, “Steve!” </p>
<p>One of the falling rocks must have broken his headlight, as the small space they were in had been plunged into darkness. Danny inhaled slowly to the count of four and exhaled for the same. His head hurt but otherwise, he seemed okay. Except for the fact that he was now possibly trapped in the rubble. </p>
<p>Heart rate increasing, he attempted to control his breathing again. He shook off the tingling in his arms as fear crept over him. The unseen walls were getting closer, shutting out all usable air. He tried to call out again but his voice cracked.</p>
<p>“Danny!” he heard a shout.</p>
<p>“S-Steve?!” he yelled back, staring into the black abyss.</p>
<p>Suddenly the space was bathed in light again and the walls receded to where they had been before. Danny shielded his eyes, as he fought to make sense of what he was seeing.</p>
<p>“They call me Sam,” Sam responded as he crawled over to Danny and studied him.</p>
<p>Danny responded with a nervous cackle, which sounded hysterical even to him. He swallowed hard and tried to get a grip on his fear. </p>
<p>“You okay?” Sam asked, reaching over to take Danny’s helmet off. He showed Danny the cracked plastic, then remarked, “You’re bleeding.”</p>
<p>Danny touched his forehead and looked at his fingers, surprised to find they were red, “I’m fine, probably just a concussion.”</p>
<p>Sam made ‘grabby’ hands at Danny’s small backpack, “I’ll patch you up before we get going.”</p>
<p>Danny flinched and jerked away.</p>
<p>“Don’t be stupid, those bandages are for Steve. He’ll need as many as he can get,” Danny responded, pulling the bag away from Sam’s clutchy hands. “Really, I’m fine. I’ve had hundreds of concussions. My name is Danny Williams, my date of birth is 23rd of August 1976, the current president is Donald Trump – and yes, I know that sounds even more like I have a concussion than before, but it’s true. What do you want from me?”</p>
<p>Sam grinned back at him and held up his fingers, “How many?”</p>
<p>Danny squinted at his fingers, then closed one of his eyes to make his fingers stop moving, “Two.”</p>
<p>“Now?” Sam asked.</p>
<p>“Three, okay we good? We don’t have all day. How much farther?” Danny asked, keen to get to Steve. He knew that the tremor could have sent more rocks and debris crashing down on his partner, and the thought made him feel sick for a moment. </p>
<p>“Not far,” Sam responded, then turned around and shone his light in the direction they needed to go. He was satisfied with whatever he was looking for, so he turned around to look at Danny again, “I’m going to do a recce, make sure the way ahead is clear, okay? Stay here.”</p>
<p>“What the hell is the matter with you?! You are not leaving me! Wherever you go, I’ll go. Jeez!” Danny exclaimed, “And what the hell is a recce?”</p>
<p>“A rec-  it means I’m going to check out what’s around here, how the place has moved,” Sam explained.</p>
<p>“Then why didn’t you just say that?!” Danny exploded.</p>
<p>Sam shook his head, choosing to ignore rising to the bait, “I can move faster on my own,” he said instead.</p>
<p>“And how well will that work for you if the roof caves in on you again? Huh?!”</p>
<p>“Better one than two.”</p>
<p>“You’re an idiot! Would you just get moving already? We could be there by now,” Danny responded.</p>
<p>Sam sighed, but passed him a spare flashlight, “Pays to always have extras.”</p>
<p>“Thanks,” Danny said, thankful that he wouldn’t be moving in the dark.</p>
<p>“We’ll have to crawl most of the way. You going to be okay?”</p>
<p>Danny shrugged, “I’ve gotta be, right?”</p>
<p>Sam studied Danny for a few seconds before giving him a curt nod. "Let's get moving." </p>
<p>It was slow going, but they were making progress. Danny felt better the closer they got, but his anxiety grew with each shuffle too. He had no idea what he’d find when they got to the other end. He could only try to be optimistic about the whole situation. Danny’s attention came back to the present struggle when he heard Sam grunt. </p>
<p>“How’s the hand?” Danny asked.</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>Danny rolled his eyes at Sam’s shoes, “I didn’t miss that you were protecting your arm, wrist earlier.”</p>
<p>“It’s fine, just bruised,” Sam replied.</p>
<p>Danny thought about it for a moment, before saying, “Something fell on it, with enough force that it … what? Knocked your flashlight out of your hand? Probably more than bruised.”</p>
<p>“Like your head,” Sam responded, then stopped moving, “The space gets narrower here, going to have to leopard crawl.”</p>
<p>“Jeez, what does that mean? Hello? What are you-?” Danny muttered as he watched Sam lower himself to the ground.</p>
<p>“It’s like crawling, but you’re closer to the ground. You just, drag yourself along the ground… just watch,” Sam tried to explain.</p>
<p>Danny bent down and watched Sam’s feet get further and further away. The space was so small. His chest felt tight and he felt tears prick at the corners of his eyes. He wasn’t sure if he could do this. He started wondering if he would be able to find his way to the opening if he turned around now, he didn’t know if he would be able to get back down that wall without hurting himself. And what if his flashlight failed again? He would be plunged into total darkness again.</p>
<p> “You coming?”</p>
<p>Danny sniffed, trying to clear his sinuses, which suddenly felt all blocked up. He blinked rapidly, trying to clear his swimming vision. “Yeah,” he responded shakily, but made no attempt to move. </p>
<p>He saw Sam’s feet in the distance, then they suddenly disappeared.</p>
<p>“Sam!!!” Danny shouted, afraid that the man had fallen.</p>
<p>He only heard silence in response and Danny’s stomach dropped. He was alone. </p>
<p>“Steve! Danny, he’s here!!!” Sam shouted back.</p>
<p>Danny gasped and numbly lowered his body to the ground. “I’m coming,” he whispered, finally letting his tears fall as he moved forward until his head was in the small space. Then he froze, the walls of debris rubbed against him as though trying to find a weak spot. Something sharp dug into his torso at the same time as he caught his shirt caught on something protruding from the side of the wall, pulling him closer. </p>
<p>If he went farther in, he would never get out again. He would be swallowed up by the darkness, never to be seen or heard of again. But he couldn’t go back either. There was no way out. He would be buried alive. </p>
<p>He thought of Steve and knew he had to keep going. He had to do this, anything for Steve. If only he could get his muscles to respond.</p>
<p>“Danny!!!” Sam shouted and suddenly the tunnel was bathed in another light source.</p>
<p>Danny lifted his head and saw Sam at the other end of the tunnel. He looked like he was standing, but Danny could only see his head. </p>
<p>“Danny, come on mate, Steve’s right here. He’s in bad shape; he needs your help,” Sam was saying.</p>
<p>Danny nodded and slid forward a little bit, but he didn’t feel like he would fit. He stared at the walls, afraid that if he got stuck, they would suck him in. “I – I don’t know how,” Danny said.</p>
<p>“Take the backpack off, Danny, attach it to your foot and drag it along behind you,” Sam told him, “And look at me, don’t take your eyes off me, okay buddy?”</p>
<p>Danny shakily felt the top of the tunnel with one hand and found he had enough room to kneel still. He quickly took the bag off and tied it to his ankle, then looked back at Sam.</p>
<p>“Okay, just take it easy now. Baby steps, okay? You’ve leopard crawled before, right?” Sam asked.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Danny responded, feeling fresh tears make their way down his face as he looked at the distance he had to cover. It was like it had tripled since he last looked at Sam.</p>
<p>Danny started moving again, slowly inching his way forward.</p>
<p>“Just keep looking at me, okay? You’re doing really well. Just a bit farther, you’re nearly there,” Sam was saying. The man continued his monologue as Danny moved.</p>
<p>He was terrified of the passageway collapsing, but there was something reassuring about Sam’s voice and the look in his eyes. It promised that if something happened, he would be there to save him. That and there was the worry for Steve that had reached a crescendo. And Danny had the medical bag, so he had to make it.</p>
<p>Danny clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, he had to do this. He had to save his friend. His partner. The man he loved. And if they made it through this, he had to tell him.</p>
<p>“That’s it! Yes! That’s the way! Keep going, you’re nearly there!” Sam was shouting now.</p>
<p>Danny choked back a half-sob, half-laugh as he crossed the last few feet. He wanted to say something witty, but he was far too relieved to be able to get out of that hell-hole.</p>
<p>“Okay, easy now, let me help you,” Sam was saying, “You don’t want to get out of there the same way I did.”</p>
<p>“How – how was that?” Danny shakily asked, as he looked at the drop from the floor of the tunnel to the bottom of the bigger space. It was about six-feet.</p>
<p>“The hard way,” Sam responded with a snort. He half-carried, half-dragged Danny out of the tunnel and set him on his feet.</p>
<p>“Thanks,” Danny said, he slapped the other man on the back, trying to play it cool.</p>
<p>“Don’t mention it,” Sam responded.</p>
<p>Danny looked around the space, analysing where they were now. But his attention was drawn rapidly to a figure in the corner.</p>
<p>“Steve!” Danny gasped and rushed to his side.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you like it! Let me know what you thought!</p>
<p>Thanks again to Phoebe, you're amazing!!! :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Steven!” Danny shouted and rushed to his side. He stopped just before he touched his friend, more than a little bit conscious about his injuries. He crouched next to him, taking a moment to assess what he was seeing.</p>
<p>The first thing Danny noticed was that Steve was unconscious. The next thing was that there was a glass shard sticking out of his torso by about a foot. It was thin, but wide – and wider at its base than the top. It looked like there was blood around the site, but not as much as you’d expect, which could only mean that it was deep.</p>
<p>The next thing he noticed was the small amount of blood on Steve’s chin. It looked like he’d dribbled it, which hopefully only meant he’d bitten his tongue or his lip. But it was too much blood for that. And Danny remembered how his partner had sounded on the phone.</p>
<p>He glanced back at the shard and wondered if it was high enough to pierce his lung.</p>
<p>He knelt carefully beside his partner and gently squeezed his shoulder, loudly saying, “Steve!”</p>
<p>“Hey, you got this?” Sam suddenly asked from his shoulder.</p>
<p>Danny nodded and quickly took the medical bag from his ankle, “Steve made me take an Army/Combat First Aid course before we went to…” then he looked at Sam with an apologetic look, “Sorry, classified.”</p>
<p>“I understand,” Sam responded, then held up his radio, “Can you give me a quick soldier’s five*?”</p>
<p>“A what?” Danny asked with a confused expression, “You’re not asking for one of those nine or ten-liners**, are you?”       </p>
<p>“I don’t think that’s necessary, just tell me what you know,” Sam answered. </p>
<p>Danny shrugged impatiently, “I don’t know yet, okay?! He’s unconscious, he’s bleeding.”</p>
<p>“I can wait,” Sam responded, “They’re going to want to know what state he’s in.”</p>
<p>Danny grumbled to himself and quickly checked what he needed to to answer the question. Danny carefully rolled him to get a better look at his back, checking to make sure there were no injuries that he couldn’t see. He shone his flashlight to get a better look and ran his fingers softly over one of the spots. Satisfied that he had the whole story, he gently rolled him back onto his back.</p>
<p>Danny sat back on his ankles and finally answered, “Unconscious, but he’s breathing and his pulse is weak, but there. He has a head injury, which is bleeding, but I think it’s stopped, the blood is thicker. Obviously there’s the glass shard sticking out of his chest, but it’s gone right through, I can feel the tip of it sticking out of his lower back. </p>
<p>“I think it’s punctured his lung, his breathing is laboured and… well I’ll see how he goes, I don’t want to make any incisions unless I have to,” Danny continued, “I’ll patch him up the best I can with what I’ve got. Start an IV, oxygen too? I thought I saw a cylinder earlier. Neck brace, obviously. What else?”</p>
<p>“That’ll do,” Sam answered, “I’m gonna go on another recce. Signal here is shit. You gonna be okay on your own?”</p>
<p>“Oh, of course, another ‘recce’.” Danny murmured, “I’m not on my own; I have this guy. I’ll be fine.”</p>
<p>“Okay, be back soon,” Sam told him, then started looking around the small space as though searching for another exit.</p>
<p>Danny was torn between tending to his partner’s injuries and focussing on Sam. So he opted to do both. He put a neck brace on Steve as he commented, “You didn’t look at how to get back out, did you?”</p>
<p>He felt Sam shrug, “The more important thing was getting here. But what I saw has changed anyway, there was a small opening up there. Anyway, that tremor earlier must have moved things.”</p>
<p>“Yes, but now we need to get out,” Danny responded tersely, “And we can’t come back the way we came. Steve wouldn’t make it, we can’t move him!”</p>
<p>“I know, I’m looking, I just wish…” </p>
<p>Danny stopped what he was doing for a moment and called Tani. As soon as the call connected, he pressed the video button and was shortly rewarded with Tani’s face.</p>
<p>“Danny! Where are you?!” Tani asked. She looked anxious, but a little bit relieved. But he couldn’t deal with her emotions at the moment.</p>
<p>“In a very small space where only beavers and rabbits belong,” Danny replied, trying not to think about that for too long. He turned to Sam and held out the phone, “Does this help?”</p>
<p>Sam grinned and gratefully took the phone.</p>
<p>Danny tuned him out as he tended to Steve. To say that the man was in bad shape was an understatement. There was no way they could move him, not without doing irreparable harm.</p>
<p>“Danny,” Steve murmured, pulling Danny from his thoughts.</p>
<p>“Steve, I’m here,” Danny responded.</p>
<p>Steve gave a weak cough, but didn’t open his eyes, “You ‘kay?”</p>
<p>“I didn’t just have a building fall on top of me. You holding up okay?” Danny responded.</p>
<p>“Mmm,” Steve hummed and then went silent again.</p>
<p>“Steven John McGarrett, look at me when I’m talking to you!” Danny exclaimed, worried beyond anything that he’d lose his partner if he didn’t remain conscious.</p>
<p>He was rewarded with Steve’s eyes flickering back open, but they landed somewhere above him, “He doesn’t like…. choppers.”</p>
<p>“Steve. Steven! Look at me!” Danny insisted.</p>
<p>Steve coughed again, this time spraying red droplets when he did so. The sound was wet too, cluing Danny into the fact that he’d need to find something sharp soon to fix the problem.</p>
<p>“I don’t… Don’t want to…” Steve said, in between breaths, “Don’t want to share you with Rachel.”</p>
<p>The comment made Danny’s emotions get the better of him and he was suddenly reminded of everything that was at stake here. He blinked away the tears that welled in his eyes and focussed on the task at hand. He tried to stop the bleeding as best as he could; he wrapped Steve’s torso with some doughnut rings, gauze and bandages. Then he started looking through the medical bag in search of a scalpel. He would have to make an incision to relieve the pressure on Steve’s lungs. </p>
<p>“I love you, Steve,” Danny found himself admitting.</p>
<p>“We – we should get married again,” Steve told him, his eyes lowering closed again as though it was a struggle to keep them open.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*************************************<br/>
Footnotes:<br/>
*  A soldier’s five is a way of asking for a quick brief on a subject.<br/>
** A nine/ten liner is a specific military situation report. Each line answers a specific question – a nine-liner is a combat injury report, i.e. line 1 might be – how many injured?)</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you liked it! Let me know what you thought! :)</p>
<p>Thanks again to Phoebe! :D</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Okay, do you want the good news or the bad news first?” Sam asked as he crouched next to Danny.</p>
<p>Danny adjusted the oxygen mask over Steve’s face, then responded, “The good news, for a change.”</p>
<p>“They think they can get us out in an hour,” Sam told him.</p>
<p>Danny wiped sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, then glanced at Sam with a look between confusion and surprise, “I said start with the <i>good</i> news.”</p>
<p>“That <i>was</i> the good news,” Sam answered, “The bad news is that if we stay here, it will be more like three, maybe four hours. If at all.”</p>
<p>“Steve can’t wait that long… wait, what? You want us to move?” Danny asked, only just registering what Sam had said, “And what do you mean ‘if at all’?”</p>
<p>“This space is too unstable, the engineers think that if they start moving things, it could come down on top of us,” Sam admitted.</p>
<p>“Why the hell didn’t they say that <i>before</i> we went in?!” Danny exploded.</p>
<p>“Because we would have gone in regardless!” Sam exclaimed, “Anyway, it wasn’t as unstable before. The tremor before has made it worse. We need to move to the opening at the other end of that tunnel.”</p>
<p>Danny briefly looked at the tunnel Sam was pointing at, registering that it was the one they’d come through earlier. He sat back on his ankles so he had more room to wave his arms, as he exclaimed, “What part of ‘we cannot move Steve’ do you not understand? He is too unstable to move! What the hell is the matter with you? And even if we could move him, how?! It’s not as if you can just throw him over your shoulder and carry him out!”</p>
<p>“There isn’t one of those foldable back boards in that medical bag, is there?” Sam asked skeptically.</p>
<p>Danny stared at him in amazement for a moment, marvelling at his stupidity. Then he rifled through the bag and said sarcastically, “Oh, of course, I didn’t see that earlier! Must be a Mary Poppins bag! Huh?! Where? Where do you suppose that would fit in here?!”</p>
<p>Sam scratched the back of his head, “I’ll get them to send one down, there’s a small gap back in the area back there. Should be big enough…. Maybe.”</p>
<p>“Dann- ” Steve murmured, making Danny look back at him. His eyes were still shut.</p>
<p>“I’ll be back,” Sam told him, then left.</p>
<p>“Sam, wait!” Danny called.</p>
<p>But Sam waved him off, “Take care of him, I’ll be back in a minute.”</p>
<p>Danny looked back at Steve, “That man is like a carbon copy of you. What he just did there? That’s like when you say ‘cover me’.”</p>
<p>“Danno,” Steve murmured again, briefly opening his eyes, before closing them again. </p>
<p>He tried to take off the oxygen mask, but Danny put it back in place, with a soft, “Leave it, babe. It’s there to help.”</p>
<p>“Mmm,” Steve acknowledged, “I can walk.”</p>
<p>“Where?” Danny asked as he gently brushed Steve’s hair out of his face.</p>
<p>“Out,” Steve responded. </p>
<p>He tried taking the oxygen mask off again, but again, Danny foiled his plans, “Leave it. And okay, go on then.”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Steve murmured, making no move to get up, “In a minute.”</p>
<p>“Why don’t you start with opening your eyes for me, babe. Can you do that?” Danny asked.</p>
<p>“Yeah.”</p>
<p>“Babe, open your eyes,” Danny tried again. He squeezed Steve’s hand, careful of the IV line.</p>
<p>“Mmm,” Steve answered, then finally squinted his eyes open.</p>
<p>“Hi there.”</p>
<p>“Did we get ‘im?” Steve whispered.</p>
<p>Danny frowned at him, “Who?”</p>
<p>Steve groaned and tried to remove the mask again, but Danny caught his hand. “You ‘kay?” Steve murmured.</p>
<p>“I’m fine,” Danny answered.</p>
<p>“It … it was a setup,” Steve grunted between breaths, “Decker.”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Danny replied, “We got him.”</p>
<p>“S’good,” Steve answered as he closed his eyes.</p>
<p>“Steve! Steve, hey babe! Stay with me!” Danny called.</p>
<p>“Yeah.”</p>
<p>“Steve babe, open your eyes.”</p>
<p>“Love you.”</p>
<p>“I love you too, babe, but you gotta open your eyes for me!” Danny exclaimed.</p>
<p>“ ‘m tired,” Steve mumbled, but squinted his eyes open again.</p>
<p>“I know. I know. But you’ve gotta stay awake for me. You uh, remember that I’m claustrophobic right? Well, we’re in a small space and I need you to stay awake for me and tell me everything’s going to be okay. Alright?! Can you do that?” Danny rambled.</p>
<p>“Always about you,” Steve muttered, lifting their hands to his mask again.</p>
<p>“Steven, leave the mask alone,” Danny murmured, tugging his hand back down.</p>
<p>“Where’d dad go?”</p>
<p>The question stumped him. But he answered honestly, “Babe, your dad died seven years ago.”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Steve agreed as he closed his eyes again.</p>
<p>“Steve, open your eyes.”</p>
<p>Steve muttered something, but Danny didn’t catch it. </p>
<p>“Steven babe, open your eyes for me,” Danny tried again.</p>
<p>But this time, he got no response. He checked Steve’s pulse, satisfied that the man was still alive.</p>
<p>“Steve! Wake up!” Danny shouted, but again got nothing.</p>
<p>“Come on Steven, hang on in there,” Danny murmured, squeezing Steve’s hand to try to get through to him, “Not much longer.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you liked it! Let me know what you thought! :)</p>
<p>Thanks again to Phoebe! :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Charlie’s still too smart for his own good,” Danny told Steve. He’d sat down beside him, making sure not to get caught in the short IV line as he held his partner’s hand. He caressed Steve’s hand with his thumb as he continued, “He told me this morning that he wants to be a cop when he grows up, just like his dad and Uncle Steve. I’m sure you’d like that.”</p>
<p>He sighed, his gaze wondering around the space they now shared. “He asked me when we’d be getting married,” Danny admitted. He knew his friend would find that amusing.</p>
<p>He spotted a cigarette lighter lying amongst the rubble and frowned. He picked it up and studied the grenade that was etched onto the front of it. “Didn’t know you smoked, babe,” Danny murmured and pocketed the thing.</p>
<p>He looked back down and found something else that probably belonged to his partner. He picked up the cell phone and threw it in the medical bag, “You’re just throwing your stuff everywhere, aren’t you?”</p>
<p>The only response was something hitting the ground. The sound startled Danny and he jumped to his feet before he could stop himself. He scanned the small space, heart racing as he thought <i>This is it, this place is gonna collapse on top of us now</i>. </p>
<p>He spotted a red board lying on the ground underneath the tunnel, which hadn’t been there before. Then Sam’s head appeared from the entrance.</p>
<p>“Little help,” Sam said breathlessly.</p>
<p>Danny quickly moved to the tunnel and helped Sam down, “You look a little worse for wear, what happened?”</p>
<p>“You don’t wanna know,” Sam responded as he ambled over to where Steve was. The man had clearly injured himself more, if the way he was hunched over and protecting his chest was any indication.</p>
<p>“Ribs?” Danny asked.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Sam answered, then nodded to Steve, “He okay?”</p>
<p>“No change,” Danny responded, “You okay?”</p>
<p>“I’ve had worse,” Sam said.</p>
<p>Danny watched the other man, noticing that he was struggling to take deep breaths and his wrist had swollen up too. “I get the feeling you won’t be going on that deployment,” he remarked.</p>
<p>“No,” Sam agreed, “Probably for the best though. It’ll be nice to take things easy for a while. Anyway, let’s focus on getting outta here first.”</p>
<p>Danny picked up the back board and brought it over to where Steve was lying, “How do you want to do this?”</p>
<p>“Carefully,” Sam muttered, “We might need to do a roll, get the board under him, then roll back. One person on his head, the other to do the rolling.”</p>
<p>“Why don’t you take his head? I’ll do the rolling. Might be hard for you to do with your wrist,” Danny suggested.</p>
<p>Sam nodded in agreement. The two men took their positions and counted aloud to three. Danny rolled Steve onto his side and wedged the board in behind him, then slowly rolled him back.</p>
<p>“That wasn’t so hard, right?” Sam asked.</p>
<p>Danny just shook his head at the other man and helped him tie his partner onto the board. Then he sat back and admired their handiwork. “Will that hold him?” Danny asked sceptically.</p>
<p>Sam nodded, “We’ve still gotta be careful moving him. The hardest part will be getting him into the tunnel.”</p>
<p>“Don’t say that word,” Danny said, suppressing a shiver and resolutely not looking at the small space they need to crawl <i>back</i> through.</p>
<p>“What word?” Sam asked as he sat back on his ankles, “Tunnel? What do you want me to do? Just point to it? Danny, we’re going to have to go back through it. But this time with a difference, we’re taking buggalugs here with us.”</p>
<p>“Buggalugs?” Danny asked, “Do you mean Steve?”</p>
<p>“Of course I mean Steve,” Sam responded, “Now, do you want to go first or last? Whoever goes through first will have to go backwards. View will be the same for both, just depends whether you want to see the end of the tunnel get closer or farther away.”</p>
<p>“Neither are appealing,” Danny grumbled, “Come to Hawaii, they said. It’ll be fun, they said. Get trapped in really small places with your partner.”</p>
<p>“Danny.”</p>
<p>“He’ll go in head-first right? I’ll go at the front,” Danny replied.</p>
<p>“Okay, you ready? We’ll lift on three. One. Two. Three – lift,” Sam counted aloud. They lifted the back-board, ensuring that they kept Steve as level and as still as possible.</p>
<p>Before they could move, the sound of a Skype call pierced the small space. Sam sighed as Danny counted, “Prepare to lower. One. Two. Three - lower.”</p>
<p>Sam dug Danny’s phone out of his pocket and gave it to him. Danny frowned at Jerry’s face on his screen, wondering why the man was calling. He pressed the green button and saw Jerry staring back at him, “Hi Jerry, we’re a little busy right now.”</p>
<p>“I know, that’s why I’m calling,” Jerry replied, “Tani told me you’re moving back to the cavern area, but I think we can get you out from where you are.”</p>
<p>“Explain,” Sam told him.</p>
<p>“The engineers were looking at it from a standpoint of completely clearing the area above you, but they don’t have to do that. They only need to remove the blocks that are necessary. It’s like Jenga,” Jerry responded.</p>
<p>“Yes, but the engineers already said that this space is too unsteady anyway. And I don’t know about you, but I don’t want this place to come crashing down on me. Thank you!” Danny told him.</p>
<p>“It won’t be unstable if they reinforce the beams … here and here,” Jerry responded, pointing to two spots on the radar image.</p>
<p>Danny squinted at the screen, but couldn’t make out where he was showing them. He glanced at Sam and found him frowning at the phone too.</p>
<p>“Have you talked to the engineers?” Sam asked.</p>
<p>“Yeah, they’re discussing it n- wait a minute… Yes!” Jerry exclaimed, pumping his fist into the air. “They’ve just agreed to do it. Sit tight, we’ll have you outta there in no time.”</p>
<p>“How much time?” Danny asked.</p>
<p>“Ah, not long,” Jerry responded, evading the question.</p>
<p>“Jerry, Steve doesn’t have a lot of time. He’s in really bad shape!” Danny stressed to him.</p>
<p>“Oooh! I’ll put the doc on!” Jerry told them, then disappeared from the screen.</p>
<p>He was replaced by Tani, who looked worried, but optimistic, “Hey, how’re you guys holding up?”</p>
<p>“Couldn’t be better,” Danny snarked.</p>
<p>“Living the dream,” Sam added, but Danny wasn’t sure if he was being sarcastic or not.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you like it! Let me know what you thought!</p>
<p>Thanks again to Phoebe! You helped me out of a tight spot :P</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“So, do you have a special someone waiting for you back in Australia?” Danny asked.</p><p>The two men were sitting on either side of Steve, watching over him as they waited for the rescue. Danny had unconsciously taken Steve’s hand and was running his thumb up and down the man’s hand. It made him feel slightly calmer about the whole situation.</p><p>Sam looked up from the picture he was etching into the concrete block. He gave a sad smile, “There’s a guy I like, pretty sure the feeling’s mutual too.”</p><p>“But?” Danny prompted.</p><p>“I’m in the friend zone,” Sam replied, “And now, if I tell him how I feel, I risk losing him.”</p><p>“I know how you feel,” Danny told him. He shifted his attention back to Steve and brushed a loose strand of hair from his face.</p><p>Sam snorted, “Please. Mate, this is a sure thing.”</p><p>“What? What do you know?” Danny asked.</p><p>Sam shook his head and went back to scrapping the knife over the concrete, adding to the image. </p><p>Danny mentally shifted gears as he tried something different, “You know, when I talked to Steve this morning, you know, before I knew what happened, he said he had been kissing. Do you know anything about that?”</p><p>Sam paused what he was doing, but didn’t look up as he responded, “Yeah, I do.”</p><p>The silence stretched on between the men until it became uncomfortable. Finally, Danny broke it, “Well?”</p><p>“Danny, I can’t – ”</p><p>“Sam, he was at a gay club and he was kissing someone. If you’re afraid you’ll out him, I think the cat’s outta the bag,” Danny interrupted.</p><p>“I told you, we came here because I’m gay,” Sam argued.</p><p>“Then who was he kissing?” </p><p>“Me! Okay? And before you get the wrong idea, it didn’t mean anything,” Sam responded.</p><p>“What?” Danny whispered in shock.</p><p>“Look, Steve and I have been friends for a hundred years. We’ve saved each other’s lives a bunch of times and we share something in common, okay? We both like guys. We wanted to … see if there was anything between us other than friendship,” Sam explained.</p><p>“And?!” Danny asked, a little more forcefully than he intended.</p><p>“You have nothing to worry about! Believe me, it was weird. It was like kissing my brother. He said the same thing – and no, he wasn’t just saying that. I went to the bar to get a couple of shots to wash our mouths out,” Sam told him, “Jeez, I’d laugh if you didn’t look like you wanted to kill me right now.”</p><p>Danny made an effort to relax his face, “Sorry.”</p><p>Sam waved his arm in a half circle, “It’s fine. I’d probably look the same way if anyone kissed my – well, if anyone kissed Dave.”</p><p>Danny gave a half-smile. He thought about what Sam had said, hoping that Steve didn’t think of him like a sibling. He didn’t know what he’d do if Steve ever said those words to him. He could just see it now - <i> “Oh sorry, Danny. No, I love you like a brother.”</i></p><p>“He doesn’t think of you that way, you know,” Sam suddenly said, as though he could read Danny’s mind.</p><p>“What?” Danny asked, playing dumb.</p><p>“Like a brother,” Sam prompted.</p><p>“Did he tell you that?” </p><p>Sam gazed into the distance as though he hadn’t heard him. Then he picked up the knife again and began scratching at the ground. Danny rolled his eyes, he could take a hint. Sam wouldn’t give him any information he suspected would betray Steve’s trust – with whatever the man had said to him.</p><p>“So, ‘Dave’, huh?” Danny asked.</p><p>Sam grinned, “Yeah, he – ”</p><p>Danny frowned at Sam when he stopped talking and appeared to freeze, “What is it?”</p><p>“Shh,” Sam whispered.</p><p>Suddenly, there was horrendously loud BANG, followed by an intense grinding sound. Then loose debris started falling on them. </p><p>“STEVE!!!” Danny yelled in terror and covered Steve’s body with his own. If this was it, if this was the last few minutes of their lives, he wanted to be as close to Steve as possible.</p><p>The loud grinding and groaning continued, and debris continued to rain down on them. Danny yelled again, but it was a wordless shout. It was more of an expression of fear.</p><p>“Danny!!!” Sam yelled above the noise, but Danny couldn’t see him anymore. The small space was covered in a thick cloud of grey dust.</p><p>“SAM!” Danny yelled back.</p><p>“It’s going to be okay!” came the response.</p><p>Danny couldn’t help his eyes welling up with tears as he thought of his kids. Gracie was at least old enough to understand what had happened. But Charlie… Charlie, his boy, who wanted to follow in his footsteps and be a cop.</p><p>Then he noticed that the debris had stopped falling. And the grinding and groaning had stopped.</p><p>“Sam!” Danny shouted in confusion.</p><p>“I’m okay!” Sam shouted back.</p><p>“What – ” Danny abruptly stopped talking as he realised something else. “It’s brighter?” he muttered.</p><p>Sam coughed, then began laughing. “Still daylight,” he remarked.</p><p>Danny slowly and carefully lifted himself off Steve, then looked up. What he saw took his breath away. A small ray of sunlight, that was slowly getting bigger.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you liked it! Let me know what you thought! :P</p><p>Thanks again to Phoebe, you're awesome!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Danny clutched Steve’s hand as though it was a lifeline. His gaze was fixed on the goings on above them, impatiently waiting for them to get their act together and get them out of this hell hole. He had the not-entirely irrational sense of impending doom. It was as though the closer they got to getting out, the more he thought that something would go wrong and they’d end up trapped down here forever.</p><p>It was not unlike when you needed to pee really badly and in the final few minutes before relieving yourself, you didn’t think you would make it. The feeling would just get exponentially worse the closer you got.</p><p>“Hey,” Sam called, getting his attention.</p><p>Danny took his eyes off the work above them and looked at Sam, “Yeah?”</p><p>“Wouldya blink once in a while?” Sam suggested with a grin, “Looks scarey.”</p><p>Danny sighed, “Sorry, just keen to get outta here.”</p><p>Sam handed him another bottle of water that the rescuers had sent down earlier. “No! And here I thought you were enjoying yourself down here!” he exclaimed.</p><p>“I can think of better things to do with my day,” Danny answered, “You though… you look like you’re in your element down here. You look like Steve does when he gets an ammunition order; kinda pissed that he has to do the paperwork and accounting, but excited that he gets to blow stuff up. Or when he gets to do crazy SEAL shit. You and him, you’re like children in a candy store.”</p><p>Sam chuckled, but didn’t deny it. He took a sip of his own water bottle, then nodded at the opening, “Incoming.”</p><p>Danny looked up and was relieved to see an emergency worker abseiling down to them. The man was attached to a bucket, which was where Steve would go. Danny was beside himself with happiness, his eyes started to water as he started to believe that they would get out of this place.</p><p>“Afternoon,” the guy greeted them as he landed near Steve’s feet, “How’re you two holding up?”</p><p>“We’re still alive, so that’s something,” Danny answered.</p><p>“Never been better,” Sam added, with a grin directed at Danny.</p><p>Danny rolled his eyes, “Did you get our casualty report?”</p><p>“Sure did,” the rescuer said as he unbuckled himself and the bucket from the rope, “Any change?”</p><p>Danny shook his head and gestured at his partner, “I mean, he was in and out of consciousness there for a while, but… Well, he hasn’t been conscious for over an hour now.”</p><p>“Okay,” the guy responded, then knelt next to Steve and started taking his vitals, “By the way, I’m Peter – Pete’s fine.”</p><p>“Sam and Danny,” Sam said, gesturing to himself, then Danny.</p><p>Pete smiled, “Pleased to meet you in person, finally.”</p><p>“How’s things looking up there?” Sam asked, looking at the hole Pete had just come through.</p><p>“We’ve found another few survivors through the radar, over the far side,” Pete told them, “But they’re in pretty deep. They must’ve been on the first floor before the collapse – or they fell through the second floor… Anyway, we’ll need to bring the heavy equipment in to get to them, but we can’t do that whilst you guys are here.”</p><p>“Too unstable?” Danny asked.</p><p>“You betchya,” Pete responded.</p><p>“Great. Just what I needed to hear,” Danny muttered.</p><p>“We’ll have you out in no time. Starting with this guy,” Pete assured him, then he gestured to the bucket, “Can you grab the stretcher?”</p><p>Sam handed it over and stood back to give the other men some space.</p><p>“Okay, we’ll lift on three,” Pete said to Danny, who had taken position at the bottom end of the back-board. “Sam, I need you to make sure Steve’s IV line and oxygen tube don’t get caught when we lower him into the bucket, okay?”</p><p>“Roger,” Sam responded.</p><p>Pete nodded, then looked back at Danny, “One. Two. Three – lift.”</p><p>Pete and Danny lifted the back board and carefully stepped to the side so they were over the bucket. Then Pete counted again and they lowered it.</p><p>“Easy as,” Sam murmured.</p><p>Pete grinned and efficiently strapped Steve in. It wasn’t long before he gave the nod of approval and connected the bucket to the rope. “Okay, I’ll take Steve here up and make sure he’s taken care of. Then I’ll be back for the two of you.”</p><p>Sam gave the man a sloppy salute, whilst Danny looked on anxiously. Pete yelled that he was ready and gave the rope a firm tug, then he began rising. </p><p>“He’s gonna be okay, right?” Danny asked.</p><p>“Pete’ll be fine, he’ll have done this thousands of times,” Sam responded distractedly.</p><p>Danny gave the man’s shoulder a light shove, “You know what I mean.”</p><p>“Hope so,” Sam answered with a small nod. It was the only indication the other man had given that he was seriously concerned with Steve’s condition.</p><p>Danny sighed heavily, anxiety making him feel sick to his stomach. And this time it had nothing to do with the claustrophobia.</p><p>“You go up first,” Sam told him, “You know, so you can get in the ambulance with Steve. Or at least, be right behind him.”</p><p>Danny nodded back, “Thanks.”</p><p>“I hear the word for that here is ‘Mahalo’,” Sam stated.</p><p>Danny shook his head and didn’t respond. He was too concerned with watching as Steve got to the top and was whisked away. “He’s gone,” he said softly.</p><p>“You’ll see him again shor- ” Sam was interrupted by a loud BANG.</p><p>Danny stared at Sam in horror, his eyes asking what the hell that was. Then a small rock-like piece of debris fell in front of them, the only visible indication of what was about to happen.</p><p>“Danny,” Sam said as he started backing up.</p><p>Danny pre-empted what Sam was about to say and turned and ran to the tunnel. Then there was another rumble as the building tried to rearrange itself again.</p><p>Over the top of the noise, Sam yelled, “THE TUNNEL DANNY, RUN!!!”</p><p>The noise became a roar and they started getting pelted by falling small debris. Danny had just jumped up into the tunnel when they lost the light and he had to go by feel.</p><p>“SAM!!!” Danny yelled, as he continued going forward as fast as he could in the cramped space.</p><p>He couldn’t hear anything over the sound of the building coming down on them again. The overwhelming fear of being buried alive was the only thing that kept him going. </p><p>The noise got impossibly louder until Danny thought that his ear drums would explode. Danny stopped moving and curled into the foetal position as much as the constricted space would allow. He closed his eyes and screamed.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you liked it! Let me know what you thought! :)</p><p>Thanks again to Phoebe! Love that you're as evil as me :P</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The sudden silence was deafening. Only the harsh sounds of Danny’s panting pervaded the atmosphere. Danny continued waiting, afraid that any movement at all would be the last thing he did. But nothing happened.</p>
<p>“Sam?” he croaked out, managing to eat dust more than make noise. He cleared his throat and tried again, “Sam?!”</p>
<p>His only response was the distant groaning of a metal beam. Despair wrapped its tentacles around him like an octopus and started squeezing. But he couldn’t give in, Steve needed him to keep his head on straight and get out of here.</p>
<p>“SAM?!” Danny tried again.</p>
<p>This time though, he heard a groan from behind him. </p>
<p>“SAM?!!!” Danny shouted and tried to figure out how to turn around to help his new friend.</p>
<p>“Ow, don’t…” Sam gasped out, tapping his boot to indicate he was behind him, “Right here.”</p>
<p>“You okay?” Danny asked fearfully.</p>
<p>Danny heard only the sound of Sam breathing out in response. He was about to ask again when Sam finally answered, “Yeah – winded. Ribs.”</p>
<p>Danny listened to Sam struggling for breath, wondering what to do to help. When Sam finally got his breath back, he started laughing.</p>
<p>“What the hell is the matter with you? Why are you laughing? Did you hit your head again? In case you didn’t realise, we are <i>still</i> trapped underneath a building!” Danny exclaimed. He would have waved his arms around to help Sam visualise what he was saying, but the tunnel was far too constricted.</p>
<p>“That’s it, Danny, use that anger. Come on, let’s get outta here,” Sam responded, finally stopping laughing. Then the tunnel was bathed in light as Sam turned on his flashlight.</p>
<p>This time, Danny couldn’t see any reason to argue and got moving without protest. He would much rather be out of the tunnel, in the wide open space. He kept his head low and pushed himself on until he came out the other end. He had been so close to the end of the tunnel in the first place, so it didn’t take long. Once he was out, he turned around and helped Sam. </p>
<p>“Cheers mate,” Sam said as he stood up, “Didn’t think we’d be back here so soon.”</p>
<p>“Didn’t think we’d be back here at all,” Danny responded, “Okay, what now? Do we… I mean, do we go back out the way we came in?” </p>
<p>Sam shook his head, “There’s no way of telling whether we can still get out that way. No, we need to try to contact them and tell them we’re still alive.”</p>
<p>“Well, you still got your radio, right?” Danny asked, gesturing at the radio in Sam’s hand.</p>
<p>Sam held up it up, showing Danny that it had been destroyed by the falling debris, “Still got your mobile?”</p>
<p>“My..? You mean my cell phone?” Danny said with a grin, “That’s what we call them in this country.”</p>
<p>“Same same. You say shrimp, I say prawns. You say sweater, I say jumper,” Sam responded, “Anyway, do you still have it?”</p>
<p>Danny grimaced as he remembered putting the phone down after they talked to Jerry. He shook his head, “No, it’s… wait, hang on.”</p>
<p>Danny pulled Steve’s cell out of his pocket and what he saw nearly broke his heart. “Think you can convey what you need to with 1% battery?”</p>
<p>“I’ll give it a red hot crack,” Sam responded.</p>
<p>Danny unlocked the phone and pressed green button next to Tani’s name. He handed it to Sam and waited. Sam pressed the phone to his ear for a moment, then pulled it away to look at the screen. The look on his face said everything.</p>
<p>“It’s done,” Danny stated instead of asked.</p>
<p>“Dead as a doornail,” Sam confirmed.</p>
<p>Danny sighed, then stared at the ceiling of their tomb. He hated being in here. He dug his hands into his pockets and tried to calm himself down.</p>
<p>“Hey man, we’re going to get outta here,” Sam reassured him.</p>
<p>Danny frowned as his fingers ran over something foreign in his pocket. He pulled the item out and saw it was the lighter he’d picked up earlier. As he studied the lighter, he had an idea. He pointed at Sam’s rucksack and asked, “You got a grenade in there?”</p>
<p>Sam frowned back at him, “I don’t think so. What are you thinking?”</p>
<p>“When Steve and I were trapped in the parking garage a few years ago, Steve made a uh, directional charge from a grenade, a piece of pipe and the internal stuff in a lighter,” Danny replied, “I mean, if we - ”</p>
<p>“Yes! That’s brilliant,” Sam responded, “And some metal flashing, we could make this work. I don’t have a grenade, but there’s ammo in here, we can use the gun powder to act as the explosives.”</p>
<p>“You’ve done it before?” Danny asked.</p>
<p>“Uh, yeah. I mean, it’s classified. But yes,” Sam replied. He looked around the area, “See if you can find some pipe we can use.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you liked it! Let me know what you thought! :)</p>
<p>Thanks again to Phoebe!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sam set the pipe on the ground, near the front of the tunnel and angling it outwards. He looked upwards to check the direction for the blast and gave a small nod, “That should do it. Okay, you ready?”</p><p>“You’re as bad as Steve, just get it over with. I want to get outta here with enough time to see Charlie graduate high school,” Danny grumbled.</p><p>Sam chuckled and crouched next to the pipe, “Do you want to set it off? I mean, it was your idea.”</p><p>“No!” Danny exclaimed, “I’m happy enough letting you have all the fun.”</p><p>Sam glanced in his direction, “Are you sure? You said Steve detonated it last time. Come on, it feels really good, you’ll love it.”</p><p>Danny thought of the look Steve would get on his face if he was the one to let it off. He gave a small smile, then got up, “Okay, but I’m blaming you if this thing goes wrong and we both die a horrible death.”</p><p>“Well, we wouldn’t know much about it if that did happen. It’d be a quick death,” Sam responded, “You know this might not work, right?”</p><p>Danny crouched next to him, “Yes, but I’m done with being trapped down here.”</p><p>“Okay,” Sam said, then showed him what he had to do. “Once it’s lit, take cover.”</p><p>Danny blew out a nervous breath, then lit the fuse. He ducked back to where Sam was and put his hands over his head. He didn’t have long to wait before there was an almighty bang and debris blasted everywhere. The building seemed to shake with the force of the explosion.</p><p>Sam directed his flashlight to where the opening should be, trying to see through the thick layer of dust in the air. Then, through the dust and still falling debris, they saw daylight.</p><p>“I think it worked,” Sam croaked out, before coughing.</p><p>Danny laughed, which started a fit of coughing. The dust was so thick, it felt like they could walk up it to get out. “You sound surprised,” he finally responded.</p><p>“Danny?!” a voice called from the hole in the ceiling.</p><p>“Tani?!” Danny called back.</p><p>“We’ll have you out in no time, they’re coming down now to get you,” Tani responded.</p><p>“And Sam? Don’t tell him, but I like the guy. I think we should keep him,” Danny called back.</p><p>“You like me?” Sam asked.</p><p>“Don’t let it go to your head,” Danny responded.</p><p>“We should grab a drink after all this,” Sam suggested.</p><p>“What about Dave?”</p><p>“I’m sure we could organise a threesome.”</p><p>“Make it a foursome, can’t have Steve feeling left out.”</p><p>“Oh god no, it’d be too weird with Steve. He’s my brother from another mother,” Sam responded.</p><p>Danny chuckled, he felt giddy about the prospect of being topside soon. “What’s the first thing you’re going to do when you get out?”</p><p>Sam chuckled, “You sound like we’re getting out of prison.”</p><p>Danny gestured to their current location, “Does this not look like a prison to you? We’ve been trapped down here for years, with no way to get out.”</p><p>“Didn’t even get visitation,” Sam added.</p><p>Danny nodded in agreement, “The chow was crappy, the exercise facilities were in a poor state of repair, the work – ”</p><p>Danny abruptly stopped talking when he saw someone being lowered into the space, “Oh, thank god.”</p><p>Sam tapped his shoulder, “Same as before, you first.”</p><p>“Thanks buddy,” Danny responded.</p><p>As the object getting lowered got closer, they realised it was a harness instead of a person. Danny didn’t wait for the harness to get to the ground. Instead, he unbuckled it from the rope and effectively jumped into it. </p><p>He buckled it back to the harness, “Okay, ready.”</p><p>Sam double checked the fitting and the knots, then tugged on the rope and yelled up that they were ready. “See you topside,” Sam said as Danny started going up.</p><p>It took no time at all for him to reach the top. Then people were grabbing at him, helping him away from the hole and out of the harness. He saw Jerry a moment before the man enveloped him in a hug.</p><p>Danny awkwardly patted the other man’s back, “Thanks big guy.”</p><p>“It’s good to see you again,” Jerry told him as he pulled back.</p><p>Danny saw Tani watching the greeting, the same look on her face as had been on Jerry’s. “Do you want a hug too?” Danny asked.</p><p>“No, didn’t even notice you were gone,” Tani deflected.</p><p>Danny grinned, at least everybody up here were acting normally. “Steve?” he asked.</p><p>“Just gone into surgery,” Tani responded, “Junes went in the ambulance with him. He’s waiting with Lou at the moment.”</p><p>“I thought they were searching for the owner of the bar?” Danny asked.</p><p>“BOLOs are out, just waiting for him to surface. Duke’s sending units around to his family’s places,” Tani told him.</p><p>“What’d I miss?” Sam suddenly asked from his side.</p><p>“Steve’s in surgery,” Danny told him as he turned to face him. He studied the other man, he looked worse in the light of day. “You seen the paramedics yet?”</p><p>Sam gave him a look that spoke volumes, then asked, “Have you?”</p><p>“I don’t need to! You on the other hand, look like the walking dead! Go get checked out!” Danny exclaimed, “Jeez, what’s the matter with you?”</p><p>“After you,” Sam responded, “I insist.”</p><p>“Oh my god, both of you need to get checked out!” Tani interrupted.</p><p>“I’m fine,” Danny insisted, then when he looked at the expression on Tani’s face, added, “I’ll do it at Tripler.”</p><p>“I’m staying here,” Sam told him.</p><p>“You’re not coming to the hospital?” Danny asked.</p><p>Sam shook his head and gestured back at the building, “There’s still people trapped in there.”</p><p>Danny was going to argue with him, but the man looked like his mind was made up. And if he was anything like Steve – and he was – there’d be no changing his mind.</p><p>“Okay,” Danny gave in, “We’ll see you after.”</p><p>“Count on it,” Sam responded, then waved and walked back to the wreck of a building.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you liked it! Let me know what you thought!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Danny Williams, my date of birth is 23rd of August 1976, and the current president is Donald Trump,” Danny said to the doctor – James Ryan – as he got out his penlight.</p><p>Danny had gotten to the hospital, only to be told that Steve was still in surgery. Tani had insisted he get checked out whilst they waited, promising to tell him if she had any news.</p><p>“Sounds like you’ve been through this routine before,” Ryan commented.</p><p>“Yeah, once or twice,” Danny confirmed.</p><p>The doc shone the light in Danny’s eyes, flicking it off to the side to test his reactions. As he got Danny to follow his finger with his eyes, he noticed Lou had come over to watch.</p><p>“Any news?” Danny asked, taking care not to shift his eyes to Lou.</p><p>“Nothing yet,” Lou responded.</p><p>“How long’s he been in there?” Danny asked.</p><p>“10 minutes more than the last time you asked,” Lou replied, “He okay, doc?”</p><p>Ryan stopped examining Danny, then said, “He has a mild concussion. I’m going to order a scan, just to make sure.”</p><p>“I don’t need a scan,” Danny argued.</p><p>“Yes you do, and I’m going to keep you in for the night for observation. Something that I don’t think is going to be an issue, considering your penchant for sleeping in the chair next to Commander McGarrett when he’s injured. This time though, I think I can organise something a bit more comfortable,” the doc said with a smile.</p><p>“Thanks doc. I don’t suppose you know anything about how Steve’s doing?” Danny asked.</p><p>Ryan shook his head, “I don’t, but I can find out.”</p><p>“Mahalo,” Lou responded.</p><p>“I’ll be back with something for the pain,” Ryan said, then left the room.</p><p>Time seemed to drag on and on. Danny had his scans and came back, then waited with the team. They made small talk for a while, before eventually lapsing into silence. The scene felt like so many before it, every trip to the hospital seeming to merge into one. The only difference was who they were waiting for.</p><p>Eventually, after what felt like years, but was probably only an hour, the surgeon came out. They recognised the man from the other thousand times they’d been here, Dr. John Fitzsimmons. The team came to attention as he approached them; Lou pushed himself off from the wall he was leaning against, Junior and Tani stood up, whilst Jerry sat up straight in his chair. </p><p>It was Danny who approached the surgeon though, “How is he?”</p><p>“He’s in a critical condition, but he’s stable now. He lost a lot of blood and it was touch-and-go for a while,” Dr. Fitzsimmons started, “We removed the shard of glass in one piece. It had punctured his lung and there will be scarring. He had a nasty head wound resulting in a severe concussion, we’re still monitoring him to make sure there’s no internal bleeding.”</p><p>“You don’t know that now?” Junior asked, “I mean, wouldn’t a scan show you that?”</p><p>“There’s none that we can see at the moment,” Fitzsimmons responded, “We’ve moved Steve to the ICU and as you know, he needs his rest. But I know how desperately you all want to see him, so if you limit his visitors to two at a time and for no more than 10 minutes… well, that’s a risk I’m prepared to take.”</p><p>“What about ah, well, he was hallucinating?” Danny asked.</p><p>“The blood loss and severe concussion would account for that,” Fitzsimmons replied, “Also, don’t be alarmed when you go in to see him; he’s on a respirator for the moment and he’s hooked up to a lot of tubes, that’s all normal for any lung surgery. We had to deflate his lung in order to perform the procedure and we need to be confident that he’s breathing okay on his own before disconnecting the ventilator.”</p><p>Danny took a deep shuddering breath, then asked, “But ah, he’s going to be okay, right?”</p><p>“The next 24 hours will be crucial. But I know the Commander, he’s a fighter,” the Fitzsimmons responded. He let that sink in with the team, then added, “Now if you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to page me, the nurses can do that. My shift finishes at 10pm, but I’m contactable all night.” </p><p>“Thanks doc,” Lou said, then gestured for Danny to proceed him, “Danny…?”</p><p>Danny swallowed heavily and numbly followed the surgeon and Lou through the ICU doors. They stopped at the bay that Steve’s bed was in and despite being prepared for it, the sight took his breath away. </p><p>As the surgeon said, there were tubes everywhere. The ventilator was held in place by what looked like gauze, and Steve’s mouth was partially open. It looked awkward and uncomfortable. There were several machines behind Steve, keeping tabs on god-knew-what. Danny could only identify the obvious ones; the IV stand and the monitor to one side that displayed his oxygen sat’s, pulse and BP. </p><p>“Steve,” Danny whispered brokenly, tears suddenly filling his eyes, making it hard to see.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you liked it! Let me know what you thought! :)</p><p>Thanks again to Phoebe!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sam helped the last of the survivors out from the hole, then let the paramedics take over. He took a deep breath and counted the eleven people who had been trapped up until only a few minutes ago.</p><p>“Good work,” one of the emergency workers said to him, clapping him on the shoulder.</p><p>“Cheers,” Sam responded absently, “How many more are there?”</p><p>“Weren’t you one of the guys that got trapped down there?” the guy asked.</p><p>Sam started walking back to the tent where the radar operators had set up, “Yeah. But I’m still good to help out.”</p><p>The guy followed him and said, “Well, I hear there’s another three that we can get to from that hole. If you’re up for another trip down under?”</p><p>Sam snorted, “That’s where I live. Sorry I didn’t get your name?”</p><p>“Billy,” the guy said, holding out his hand.</p><p>“Sam,” Sam responded, shaking his hand, “How long till the team leaves?”</p><p>“They’re saddling up now,” Billy responded, gesturing to where a couple of emergency workers were kitting up.</p><p>Sam looked at the team, then someone caught his gaze from further away. He recognised the swagger, the posture. The man was military. He sighed, weighing up his options; if he left now, he’d make it. But if he waited for the team, there was no way he was going back in. He turned around and hitched up his bag, “Got a radio handy?”</p><p>Billy handed over a radio as he looked over Sam’s shoulder at the man making his way to the site, “Someone you know?”</p><p>“Not personally,” Sam responded, “But I know the type and I know what he’s going to say. If he doesn’t say it, then I won’t be charged with insubordination for not following it.”</p><p>Billy grunted in understanding, “I’ll hold him off for as long as I can.”</p><p>“Thanks mate, I owe you,” Sam responded, then quickened his pace to the hole the survivors had just come out of.</p><p>“Buy me a beer when you get out and we’ll be square,” Billy called after him.</p><p>“It’s a date,” Sam called back.</p><p>“Captain Johnson!” the guy approaching the site called, breaking into a run.</p><p>Sam pretended not to hear and deliberately didn’t look back as he finally got to the hole. He climbed into the hole and turned on his flashlight. And so it started again.</p><p>“Captain Johnson!!!” he heard the guy shout again.</p><p>Sam grinned and started crawling.</p><p>*****</p><p>Danny woke with a start, wondering what had woken him. As predicted by the doctor earlier, he’d fallen asleep in the chair beside Steve’s bed. One of the nurses had left a cot beside the bed for him, but he hadn’t had the energy to fold it out, so opted for the chair. </p><p>His head was hanging at an awkward angle, meaning he’d definitely have a sore neck in the morning. He sighed and rolled his head back up to the headrest. That’s when he felt it; the hand that was holding Steve’s hand was being squeezed.</p><p>Danny squeezed in response and looked at his partner. Steve was watching him through half-lidded eyes.</p><p>“Steve!” Danny whispered, quickly getting to his feet, “Hey! Hi. Are you okay?”</p><p>Steve gave a small nod, then tapped his hand as though trying to convey something. But it wasn’t morse code.</p><p>“What? What are you trying to say?” Danny asked.</p><p>Steve nodded again, then his eyes rolled back in their sockets. Steve’s eyes closed and Danny sighed. He’d been hoping for a longer ‘conversation’ with his friend. Then Steve opened his eyes and blinked tiredly at Danny.</p><p>“Hey,” Danny said gently, “Are you in pain?”</p><p>Steve nodded and squeezed his hand again.</p><p>Danny looked around and quickly located his nurse. The nurse saw Danny staring at her and quickly put two and two together.</p><p>“Hi Steve,” the nurse said as she came into the bay, “I’m nurse Kylie. You’re in the Intensive Care Unit at Tripler Hospital.”</p><p>Steve nodded and squeezed Danny’s hand.</p><p>“He said he’s in pain,” Danny told the nurse.</p><p>Kylie took one of the remotes on the bed and pressed it into Steve’s hand, “Steve, you’re on a morphine drip. Any time you’re in pain, just press this button, okay?”</p><p>Steve nodded and closed his eyes. Danny was starting to think he’d fallen asleep again when he opened them again.</p><p>“Steve, you’re on a ventilator until you can breathe naturally, okay? You’re doing very well,” Kylie assured him.</p><p>Steve closed his eyes and gave Danny’s hand a small squeeze. Danny cleared his throat, trying to keep his emotions at bay, “Kylie, how do you know how well he’s doing?”</p><p>“With his breathing?” Kylie asked, then continued when Danny nodded. She pointed at the monitor showing what looked like a heart rate, but didn’t have the right spikes, “This screen shows Steve’s breathing. This is inhalation and this is exhalation, the green lines are when Steve is taking the breath and the red is when the ventilator is breathing.”</p><p>Danny frowned and double checked the screen, “So… he’s doing most of the breathing?”</p><p>“That’s correct. He should be off the ventilator tomorrow sometime if he continues to improve,” Kylie responded.</p><p>Danny felt Steve squeeze his hand again, making him smile, “Steve approves of that course of action.”</p><p>Steve nodded gently, then let his eyes close again.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you liked it! Let me know what you thought!</p><p>Thanks again to Phoebe! :P</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 18</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sam sat back against the cold wall of the building and couldn’t help but think about how it would be dark soon. Which meant that the people still trapped in this place were coming close to having been here for twenty hours. It wouldn’t be long until they’d been there for twenty-four. He could picture the graph of their survival rate as time went on; it didn’t look good. Time was ticking away.</p><p>He ducked instinctively as a puff of dirt escaped from the crevice above his head. It was only a matter of time before the rest of the building caught up with what had already fallen. And by then, he hoped to be well away from the place. It was probably a blessing in disguise then that these were the final three survivors – that they could see anyway. Nobody else was making noise and every other person they could see on the radar were in spaces too small for a whole person to survive in.</p><p>“Come on,” he muttered impatiently, his knee bouncing nervously. He missed having Danny’s company to distract him. The man had settled his nerves, which was funny considering how much nervous energy the guy emitted.</p><p>Finally, the ‘rescue team’ arrived, crawling into the small space like they had all the time in the world. “You’ve gotta be kidding me, two people?!” Sam exclaimed, mostly in shock.</p><p>“You must be Sam,” the girl responded, “I’m Abby, this is Paul.”</p><p>“G’day, how’s it going? They’re just through here,” Sam replied, moving out of the way so the ‘team’ could see what they were dealing with, “I thought we were supposed to be able to get them out this way?”</p><p>“We were,” Paul responded as he came up to inspect the miniscule hole.</p><p>“Hey Sam,” a voice called from through the hole.</p><p>“Yeah Sam,” Sam responded with a grin.</p><p>“You guys got any water?” Sam number two asked.</p><p>Abby handed Sam some water bottles, which he fed through the hole. “How’re you guys going in there?” he asked.</p><p>“Oh, you know, can’t complain. I mean, we’re in Hawaii, man!” the guy responded.</p><p>Sam snorted and shook his head, “How’s Mel doing?”</p><p>“Yeah, still unconscious, buddy,” Sam number two responded as he took the last bottle of water. He grabbed Sam’s hand through the hole and held on, “You dudes – and dudettes, sorry Abby – got a plan to get us outta here?”</p><p>“Sure do,” Sam replied, giving the man’s hand a squeeze that he hoped was reassuring. He looked back at the ‘team’ and made sure they knew that they had to come up with something.</p><p>******</p><p>Lou woke suddenly and stared around the room in confusion, wondering what the hell had woken him.</p><p>“Baby, the phone,” his wife’s tired voice said from next to him.</p><p>Lou picked up the offending item, then jumped out of bed when he heard the message. He quickly hung up and dialed Junior’s number as he tried to throw on some clothes.</p><p>“Baby? What’s going on?”</p><p>“Sorry hunny,” Lou responded in a loud whisper, as he struggled to put on his pants.</p><p>“Uh? Hunny? Did you butt dial me again?” Junior asked on the other end of the phone, sounding surprisingly awake.</p><p>“Junior, we got a hit on the BOLO. Be ready to go in 10,” Lou responded.</p><p>“I’m ready now,” Junior replied, then hung up.</p><p>Lou grumbled at his younger colleague, then raced around to the other side of the bed and gently kissed his wife. “See you in the morning,” he whispered.</p><p>“No you won’t, see you in the afternoon,” she corrected, “And hunny, be careful.”</p><p>“That’s my middle name, baby,” Lou insisted as he all but ran out of the room.</p><p>********</p><p>Steve blinked hard, but his vision was still swimming. There were geckos darting around on the roof of the hospital room; hundreds of them. He kept trying to track them with his eyes, but he lost them around the smoke detector. Some disappeared, others appeared.</p><p>He wondered if anyone else knew about the infestation. He stared around the room, his eyes feeling like they were bulging out of their sockets, when he finally saw a familiar face. Danny was asleep in a bed next to his. The sight made him smile – or try to. There was something making that difficult. </p><p>Steve blinked tiredly and let his eyes fall closed. He listened to the nurses talk about the party in the room behind Steve’s; it was a wedding. Two of the hospital staff had tied the knot and were holding the reception here in the ICU. </p><p>He wanted to congratulate them on their success, but no one from the party walked by. Steve wanted to ask them to turn the music down, but he couldn’t find the energy.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you liked it! Let me know what you thought!</p><p>Thanks again to Phoebe! :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Chapter 19</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sam watched Paul and Abby try to move the big piece of concrete that was stopping the survivors from getting out. He refrained from telling them that they were just using up energy, he’d already told them. He crawled around the space again, trying to figure out what he’d missed. There had to be a way to get them out.</p><p>Sam crawled through another gap to the side of the opening, wondering where it led to. The gap didn’t get much bigger as he progressed, then suddenly he was slipping, sliding down to god knew what. It didn’t last long though. He hit the bottom of the slide less gracefully then he would have liked, jarring his wrist in the process.</p><p>He let out a small, very manly like noise in response. Sam grunted, then shone the flashlight around to see where he was. The space wrapped back around the one above it, and it was no bigger either. It looked like a bar had been here before, but the collapse had divided it into two – or more likely, three.</p><p>Sam manuevred around the ‘slide’ and studied the large piece of concrete that was hanging from the ceiling. He had no doubt it was the same one Paul and Abby were trying to move. After looking at it from all angles, he realized why it had stopped where it was. A small piece of rebar was wedged against the block, holding it in place.</p><p>It looked easy enough to dislodge it; a small, well placed explosion would make it move, freeing the people above. But it wouldn’t leave him a lot of time to get back to the ‘slide’. </p><p>Sam suppressed a sigh and got to work. He would just have to run like hell.</p><p>*****</p><p>“Hawaii five-0! Stop!” Lou yelled as he jumped out of the car and chased the owner of the club. The car had been spotted just outside Waikiki an hour ago and it hadn’t taken long to catch up to him. They had been in hot pursuit of the guy until he’d ditched the car at the top of the cliffs. </p><p>Pratchett continued running, then abruptly stopped when Junior fired his weapon. </p><p>“Five-0, we said stop!” Junior shouted.</p><p>Pratchett turned to them and raised his arms in surrender, but he continued walking backwards, “Okay, okay, sorry man.”</p><p>“Stop moving, get on your knees!” Lou ordered him.</p><p>“I can’t go to prison, man. I’m just not that kinda guy. I just wouldn’t do well there,” Pratchett blabbered, still moving backwards, closer and closer to the edge of the cliff.</p><p>“If you cooperate, we’ll put in a good word with the DA,” Lou assured him.</p><p>“I didn’t mean for anyone to get hurt,” Pratchett responded, “It was supposed to go off when the club was empty.”</p><p>“Why don’t you stop moving and you can tell us about it?” Junior suggested, holding out his hand, palm down, as he tried to placate the man.</p><p>“It’s all on my laptop. Schematics and everything,” Pratchett told them.</p><p>Lou put his gun away and held both hands out, trying to get the man to stop moving towards the cliff, “Hey man, we’re here right now. Let’s just sit back and talk about this, okay?”</p><p>Pratchett shook his head, “I don’t think so.”</p><p>Then he turned around and leapt off the cliff.</p><p>“NOO!!!” Lou and Junior yelled in unison. Lou rushed to the spot that he’d disappeared from, as though he could stop the man’s descent, but it was too late.</p><p>******</p><p>Danny gently stroked his hand up and down Steve’s hand as he quietly told him about Charlie’s latest adventure. Steve drifted in and out of the conversation, occasionally nodding his understanding, and his eyes opening and closing like a yoyo.</p><p>“Morning Danny,” the nurse – Kylie greeted him as she came back from whatever she’d been doing.</p><p>“Morning,” Danny said softly, stifling a yawn.</p><p>Kylie smiled, “Why don’t you go home and freshen up? The doctors have their rounds soon. I’ll call if anything changes.”</p><p>Danny nodded, “I think I will.”</p><p>“Good idea,” Kylie responded and left him to it.</p><p>“Hey babe, I’m just going to grab a shower and fresh change of clothes. I must be starting to smell because the hospital staff told me to go home and freshen up,” Danny told Steve.</p><p>Steve’s eyes remained closed, but he nodded in understanding.</p><p>“Okay, I’ll uh, I’ll be back soon. Don’t do anything stupid,” Danny responded.</p><p>The drive home took forever and it felt like his shower and everything was taking hours. He rushed through a small breakfast and raced back to the hospital. He’d never been so happy to get back inside the ICU wing of a hospital before.</p><p>As he approached Steve’s bay, he immediately knew something had changed. The ventilator had been removed and Steve was being encouraged to drink some water. Steve sipped at the straw, then gave a small, tired smile when he saw Danny.</p><p>Kylie saw him arrive and smiled at him, “The doctors are impressed with how Steve’s recovery is going, so they removed his ventilator.”</p><p>“I can see that,” Danny said with an answering smile, “That’s great news, hey babe.”</p><p>“Hi,” Steve said croakily.</p><p>“Do you want to take over, Danny?” Kylie asked as she put the sippy cup on the hospital tray, “The doctors want him to start drinking if he can.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Danny answered as he swapped places with Kylie. He grinned at Steve, “You’re looking a bit better.”</p><p>“Because you’re here,” Steve murmured, as his eyes fell closed.</p><p>“Steve?” Danny asked, getting worried.</p><p>“It’s okay, we’re not too concerned with his ability to stay awake at the moment. He needs his sleep, his body has been through a lot,” Kylie explained.</p><p>“Yeah,” Danny agreed, “I just wish there was more I could do.”</p><p>“I think you’re doing it,” Kylie responded.</p><p>Danny smiled, “Thanks Kylie.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you liked it! Let me know what you thought!</p><p>Thanks again to Phoebe! :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Chapter 20</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Fire in the hole!!!” </p>
<p>Abby stared at Paul, the question in her face quickly replaced by fear. She looked behind them and her fear intensified, “Where’s Sam?”</p>
<p>“Get back,” Paul told her, moving away from the opening they were working on. Then he grabbed Abby and pushed her to the far side of the space they were in, yelling, “Take cover!!!”</p>
<p>Suddenly there was a loud bang, followed by a roaring sound as if a semi was about to come through the floor. Then the ground moved and dust was thrown into the air. Paul and Abby coughed in the thick haze and didn’t move, waiting for the cavern to stop moving.</p>
<p>When the dust finally thinned out, they saw that the concrete block had disappeared. On closer inspection, they found that it had fallen through the floor. </p>
<p>Paul raced up to where it had been and tried to find Sam, hoping against all hope that their new friend hadn’t just trapped himself down there. “Sam?!” he called.</p>
<p>“Paul, he went down here,” Abby said, pointing at a small ledge she hadn’t seen before.</p>
<p>“Abby?” Sam number two asked, walking through the hole that had been made, “Right? It’s Abby? And Paul?”</p>
<p>“We’re here, man,” Paul diverted his attention from his new friend and helped the three survivors.</p>
<p>“Sean and I can walk, Mel might need a stretcher. She’s conscious again now, I think the explosion woke her up,” Sam number two told them. </p>
<p>“Good thing we brought a stretcher then,” Abby said, smiling at him, “Good to meet you in person.”</p>
<p>Sam number two grinned, “Likewise. I can’t wait to get outta here.”</p>
<p>It didn’t take long to organize the evacuation of the space, both walking survivors were more than happy to help out with handling the stretcher when needed. </p>
<p>“Sam?! We’ll be back for you, buddy!” Paul called as they finally left the space. He hadn’t expected to hear a reply, but the silence was deafening all the same. </p>
<p>They made their way slowly and carefully to the surface. Then they were there. People of all kinds helped them out of the hole; emergency workers, construction workers, normal people, the lot. </p>
<p>“Captain Johnson?” a well-dressed man asked them.</p>
<p>“Sam?” Paul clarified, “He’s still down there.”</p>
<p>“What? Why? What happened?” the man asked.</p>
<p>“There was an accident, we – ” Abby started.</p>
<p>“Preferred the fresh air down there,” Sam’s voice interrupted her, then stopped to cough for a moment, “Think I’m ready to go to the hospital.”</p>
<p>“How the hell did you get outta there? What happened?” Paul asked, concern lacing his voice.</p>
<p>“Hit my head on something, came to when you said you’d be back. The… there was a small gap underneath the concrete block, squeezed through that. It’s a good thing I didn’t have that extra donut yesterday,” Sam responded, rubbing his stomach, which gurgled unhappily. </p>
<p>“I’ll get you something on the way to Tripler,” the guy told him, then held out his hand, “Colonel Keith Truscott, your CO’s been in touch.”</p>
<p>“That doesn’t sound good,” Sam said, taking the man’s hand, “Guess I’m in trouble, huh?”</p>
<p>“On the contrary, he was concerned. I’ll fill you in on the way to the hospital, you should get those injuries looked at,” the Col. replied.</p>
<p>***********</p>
<p>Steve was still in and out of it, spending more time asleep than he did awake. Danny felt the same way. He was so tired, he felt every ounce of gravity he was fighting to keep upright. The ground felt like a giant octopus, trying to pull him down. He tried to rest, but he couldn’t help staring at his partner. He felt like the man would disappear if he didn’t keep eyes on him. </p>
<p>“You should really try to get some rest, Danny,” Kylie told him as she took her obs again, “We’ve kept the bed next to his free for the moment, in case you want to lay down.”</p>
<p>Danny shook his head, the movement making him feeling off balance, “No offence, Kylie, but you told me you would contact me if anything happened. And then, I come back and he’s had the vent removed. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m ecstatic about its removal, but you did say ‘anything’.”</p>
<p>Kylie frowned, “But I called you, it went to messagebank. I assumed your phone ran out of battery? Hang on, I’ll just check the number.”</p>
<p>Danny frowned, then patted his pocket and realized exactly what had happened. He wanted to slap himself for his stupidity, his phone was still buried under the building. The phone in his pocket was Steve’s. He groaned and rubbed at his eyes, trying to get the gritty feeling out of them, “Oh god, sorry Kylie. I uh, it’s my fault. My phone’s dead, I had to borrow Steve’s.”</p>
<p>“Oh goodness, sorry. I still should have checked the number,” Kylie apologized.</p>
<p>“No, don’t worry about it, it’s fine,” Danny responded, then finally gave in to the inevitable, “I think I’ll take you up on the offer of getting horizontal though – god, that came out wrong… you know what I mean.”</p>
<p>Kylie smiled, “Of course. It’s all made up for you. Now, my shift finishes soon, I’ll do my hand over, take over in the next 30 minutes or so. Do you want me to wake you so you can meet the new nurse?”</p>
<p>Danny nodded and lay down, “Yeah, that’d be great, thanks Kylie.”</p>
<p>“No problem.”</p>
<p>Danny sighed and closed his eyes. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you liked it! Let me know what you thought!</p>
<p>Thanks again to Phoebe! :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Chapter 21</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sam woke up cradling his wrist. He hadn’t realized he was as tired as he was until he stopped going. By the time he’d met up with Steve last night – or was it the night before? – he’d been up for 36 hours. Then add on all the excitement and he was approaching his record. So it was no surprise that he’d dozed off whilst sitting on the exam table.</p>
<p>He had vague memories of the medical staff putting his wrist in a cast and telling him to get it looked at in a week. Apparently he could think about getting a fibre-glass one then. But he knew the drill, it wasn’t the first time he’d broken a bone. He knew that by the end of the six weeks, he would have taken the cast off already and would be pushing himself to get back to the peak physical condition.</p>
<p>He grinned as he thought of the conversation he’d had in the car with the Col. on the way to the hospital. At least things were turning out the way he’d hoped back home.</p>
<p>Sam rolled out of bed and threw on the clothes he’d come in with. He didn’t remember getting into the hospital gown, but he had sustained a pretty good knock to the head. Just a mild concussion, they’d said. We’ll keep you in for observation, they’d said. Blah, blah, blah. He’d heard all that before too. </p>
<p>He slipped on his shoes and checked that the coast was clear before escaping from his room. The medical staff wouldn’t be happy that he’d left, but it’s not like he had any real reason to stay anyway. And he’d had enough of infirmaries to last a lifetime. </p>
<p>He strolled through the corridors, casually checking a few rooms for familiar faces, but came up empty. Then he decided to bite the bullet and take his chances with the directory. The guy on the desk seemed pleasant enough, so he flirted a little bit and watched the guy blush in response. Sam grinned, if only he didn’t have someone at home… Jason (the cutie behind the desk)) finally caved and gave him the information he wanted. </p>
<p>Sam followed Jason’s directions, he hesitated for a moment outside the room, listening to gauge whether he was about to walk in on something. But the conversation sounded very one way, which could only mean Steve was still asleep. </p>
<p>He carefully walked in and was rewarded by Danny jumping a mile when he saw him. “Jeez! What the hell is the matter with you? Do you think you’re a cat? You should come with a bell!” Danny exclaimed, startling Steve out of his sleep.</p>
<p>Sam grinned at the blonde, he couldn’t help but like the guy. It was just so easy to get a rise out of him, he could see why Steve was so taken with him. “Good to see you too, Danny,” Sam responded, then shifted his attention to Steve, “And you too young man, how are you feeling?”</p>
<p>Steve tiredly smiled at him, “Like I got hit by a truck.”</p>
<p>Sam snorted, “You look like it too.”</p>
<p>“Aw, come on, give the guy a break. He’s only just moved out of ICU,” Danny said, jumping to his friend’s aid.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I’m actually surprised you’re not still there,” Sam replied.</p>
<p>“Quick healing,” Steve murmured, “It’s a virtue.”</p>
<p>“You don’t have a superpower, babe. I think they just had enough of your whining,” Danny replied.</p>
<p>“I thought that was you,” Steve responded, closing his eyes for a moment. He cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably, before finally opening his eyes again, “What?”</p>
<p>Sam realized that he and Danny had been staring at him, “Nothing, man. Have they said how long you’re staying?”</p>
<p>“As long as it takes and not a moment sooner,” Danny answered, sending a glare in Steve’s direction.</p>
<p>“I’m fine, Danno,” Steve replied, trying to console him.</p>
<p>“You are not ‘fine’, my friend. You are many things, but ‘fine’ isn’t one of them. Did you tell Sam here, about the things you’ve been seeing, huh? Have you told him <i>why</i> you’re seeing these things? You were given Ketamine during the op. As in, the horse tranquilizer! They also call it ‘Special-K’ on the street!” Danny ranted.</p>
<p>Sam raised his eyebrows and grinned at Steve, “Really? Special-K, huh? So what’ve you been seeing?”</p>
<p>Steve gave a half shrug, “Geckos.”</p>
<p>“What about the wedding in the ICU?” Danny prompted.</p>
<p>Steve rolled his head on the pillow to tiredly look at Sam, “Two of the nurses got married in the room behind me.”</p>
<p>Sam laughed and leant against the wall, “Oh yeah? What else?”</p>
<p>Steve nodded and closed his eyes, briefly drifting off, before coming to again. </p>
<p>“Babe? What about the closet?” Danny prompted again.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Steve responded, blinking his eyes for longer than necessary, “It’s a hallway to a forest.”</p>
<p>“The closet is?” Sam asked, looking at the small in built closet in the corner of the room. Curious to see what his friend saw, he walked over and opened the door, but only saw Steve’s bag. “Well, no lion or witch in here.”</p>
<p>Danny snorted in response, but Steve had already fallen asleep again.</p>
<p>“Is he okay?” Sam asked as he walked back to the spot he was in before.</p>
<p>Danny nodded, “Yeah, the nurses said it’s a good thing that he’s resting, his body needs it.”</p>
<p>“So what’s the damage?”</p>
<p>“Punctured lung, couple of broken ribs, severe concussion,” Danny listed off, “Those are the main ones.”</p>
<p>Sam considered that for a moment, then nodded, “And you?”</p>
<p>“Me? Just a mild concussion,” Danny responded, “You?”</p>
<p>“Same,” Sam said, then held up his arm, “And a broken wrist, broke it in a few places, but it should be fine.”</p>
<p>Danny shook his head, “Is it an Army thing to downplay everything serious?”</p>
<p>“Firstly, Steve is Navy, and secondly, there’s nothing to downplay,” Sam responded.</p>
<p>“Mmm-hmm,” Danny hummed, then stood up and stretched.</p>
<p>“I can watch him for a bit if you wanna take a break?” Sam asked, watching his new friend intently.</p>
<p>Danny nodded, “Yeah, uh. Call me if anything – and I mean <i>anything</i> - changes, okay? Oh, and I have Steve's phone still, not mine.”</p>
<p>“You got it,” Sam replied, then stopped Danny before he left the room, “Hey, uh, have you talked to him yet? I mean, really talked?”</p>
<p>Danny glanced back at Steve’s sleeping figure, then back at Sam, “Not yet. But um, I’ll make you a deal, okay? When you talk to ‘Dave’, I’ll talk to Steve.”</p>
<p>Sam couldn’t help the smile that overtook his face, nearly breaking into outright laughter with happiness. “Well, I guess you need to talk to Steve then,” Sam responded.</p>
<p>Danny’s face went from semi-serious to shocked in an instant, “Wait, what? Do you mean – Wait, what do you mean? Have you talked to him?”</p>
<p>“Well, uh, not yet. But I think I have an answer,” Sam replied, “Dave was the first to figure out I was at the club when it came down. He got in touch with my CO, who contacted the office here. Apparently Dave saw the news and put two and two together after he checked my facebook. And best of all… He’s on his way here!”</p>
<p>“Now?!” Danny exclaimed in excitement and shock.</p>
<p>Sam grinned back at him, “I mean, that could only mean one thing, right? Doesn’t it? Why else would he have been face-stalking me and now he’s coming here?! I mean, unless… I don’t have it wrong, do I? Do I?”</p>
<p>Sam couldn’t help the nervous jittering of his body and the word vomit going on. It was like he’d suddenly lost the ability to function like a normal human being. This must be how Danny felt all the time. But he couldn’t help be incredibly excited, unless he was wrong, that’d suck.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you liked it! Let me know what you thought!</p>
<p>Thanks again to Phoebe!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Chapter 22</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Danny walked back into the hospital feeling much better. The few hours he’d spent away freshening up had been a godsend. And to make things better, he walked into Steve’s room to find the man sitting up and eating lunch.</p><p>“Hey, you’re still awake,” he commented as he entered.</p><p>Steve nodded and grinned at him, “Went for a short walk around the ward too.”</p><p>“Yeah, Sam told me. He said you did really well,” Danny responded as he sat down.</p><p>Steve scrunched up his face in disagreement, “Didn’t get far.”</p><p>“One step at a time, babe,” Danny said, then nodded to his lunch, “How’s the food?”</p><p>“Taste like rubber,” Steve responded, pushing the plate away and leaning back on the pillows.</p><p>Danny looked at him in bewilderment, “Steven, it’s a sandwich – ham and cheese if I’m not mistaken – how can it taste like rubber? Are you becoming a grumpy old man?”</p><p>Steve pouted a bit, “I just wanna get home, sick of the hospital already.”</p><p>Danny suppressed a sigh, he’d hoped that it would take longer before Steve started making noises about leaving. “The docs said it would be closer to a week, babe. You just gotta hang in there.”</p><p>“Yeah, I know,” Steve responded, picking at imagined lint on the sheets.</p><p>“You still seeing things?” Danny asked, indicating the closet with a nod of his head.</p><p>Steve looked up from the sheets to stare at the closet for a moment, then he scanned the room, before answering, “Nah, all gone now.”</p><p>The two men lapsed into silence and Danny would have thought his partner had fallen asleep with his eyes open if it wasn’t for the intense look he was directing at Danny. “What? Do I have something in my hair?” he finally asked.</p><p>An indecipherable look passed over Steve’s face, then he looked shy and a bit uncomfortable, which probably meant he was about to talk about his emotions. “Sam said you volunteered to enter the building after it collapsed. He said you helped rescue me? Why? Why did you do that?” he finally asked, somehow sounding vulnerable.</p><p>“Yeah,” Danny confirmed, “I’ve grown quite fond of you over the years and I’d hate to have to break in someone new.”</p><p>Steve ignored the attempt at humour and stated, “Danny, you’re claustrophobic.”</p><p>“What was I supposed to do, Steven? Huh? Leave you down there to rot? Of course I had to go down there! I mean, we’ve been partners for seven years!” Danny exclaimed.</p><p>Steve went silent for a while, considering what Danny had said and more importantly, what he hadn’t said. “Would you have gone down there for anyone else on the team?” he finally asked.</p><p>“No,” Danny responded, because the answer was that simple. Then he figured, in for a penny, in for a pound. He leant forward, restraining himself from picking up Steve’s hand where it lay closest to him. “You know, the night before last, Charlie asked me when you and I were getting married. At the time, I couldn’t understand why he thought that, I mean, you were as straight as a ruler. But I think I knew that wasn’t true.”</p><p>Danny took a deep breath, before continuing, “We’ve been dating for years and I think we were only fooling ourselves. I… every time you say you love me, I think…”</p><p>Steve swallowed hard and studied Danny’s face as he finally admitted, “I mean it every time I say it.”</p><p>“I do too,” Danny responded, finally reaching forward to hold Steve’s hand. He wanted to get up and kiss his man, but he was remained frozen in position. He couldn’t believe they’d just admitted their feelings for one another, and he fully expected to wake up any minute and find he’d dreamed it.</p><p>Steve grinned at him, apparently feeling the same way, “Maybe I’m still seeing and hearing things after all.”</p><p>Danny snorted, “I’m as real as they come, babe.”</p><p>“And we thought everyone was crazy for asking if we were married,” he commented.</p><p>“Babe, if that’s your idea of a proposal, you should know I’ll only say yes if you do it right,” Danny responded, before thinking about what he was saying. He would later chalk it up to the adrenaline from admitting his feelings to Steve. His eyes widened and his heart started pounding as he head caught up with his mouth, “Oh, ah, forget I said that. I don’t know why I said that.”</p><p>Steve’s eyebrows had climbed to the top of his forehead, and he grinned like a Cheshire cat, “What did you just say?”</p><p>“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Danny replied, then added, “Uh, I was going to ask you if you wanted to go on a date when you get released from here?”</p><p>Steve’s grin didn’t leave his face as he answered, “Of course, Danny, yes.”</p><p>Danny grinned back at him, then slowly got up and leant over Steve’s bed. He placed a hand on Steve’s cheek and brushed his lips against Steve’s. Steve kissed him back just as softly, both men wanting more, but mindful of where they were. They finally parted for air and grinned stupidly at one another.</p><p>Then they were interrupted by a nurse clearing her throat, “Sorry gentlemen, Steve I need to take your obs.”</p><p>Danny stepped back to give the nurse some space, “Sorry, he uh, had something on his face.”</p><p>The nurse just smiled at him, “It’s quite alright, you wouldn’t believe some of the things I’ve walked in on.”</p><p>Steve chuckled and shook his head, “I bet.”</p><p>“Oh hey, so Sam’s friend, Dave, is on his way here,” Danny told him, just remembering the conversation he’d had with Sam earlier, “Actually, he’s probably due to land soon.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you liked it! Let me know what you thought!</p><p>Thanks again to Phoebe!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Chapter 23</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sam wrung his hands around nervously as he waited in the arrivals hall for the international passengers from the Sydney flight to come through. He still had no idea what he was going to say to Dave when he saw him, despite having plenty of time to think about it.</p><p>The passengers started filtering out and a lady to the right of Sam screamed in excitement, rushing forward to meet her loved one. Sam felt his heart begin pounding as he thought about his own reunion, he wasn’t entirely convinced he wouldn’t have the same reaction as the lady. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and tried to stop his nervous jittering, he needed to appear manly and in control, especially of his emotions. </p><p>After what felt like an eternity, his friend appeared. Sam managed to contain the excited scream he wanted to let loose, and settled for a cheesy grin. Dave, on the other hand, didn’t hold back anything.</p><p>“Sam!” Dave shouted and beelined for him. But he didn’t stop when he got to him, he embraced him in a big hug, “Oh, thank god you’re okay.”</p><p>Before Sam could get a word in, Dave pulled back and kissed him. There was no tongue involved, just a meeting of their lips, and it was the sexiest thing ever. Then before it even fully registered, Dave pulled away and was apologizing, “Sorry, I just… I didn’t mean to do that… exactly. But we’ve been dancing around each other for years and I got tired of waiting for you to make a move. And you know, if I’m wrong, I’m sure I can find Departures around here somewhere…”</p><p>Dave broke off to vaguely look around the airport, but Sam put a stop to that, “You’re not going anywhere, I just – wow! So that just happened.”</p><p>Dave grinned, “There’s more where that came from.”</p><p>“Yeah, let’s uh… my car’s this way. Here, let me take your bag,” Sam said, trying to get his brain to work properly again. But it was like he had brain freeze, he was sure there were things he should say, do, but he couldn’t think of them. Maybe the kiss had short-circuited the electrical wires in his head.</p><p>“Don’t be silly, I’ve got it,” Dave responded, wheeling the bag in the direction Sam pointed, “Besides, you’ve done yourself an injury. What happened? Or more accurately, what injuries happened?”</p><p>“Oh this?” Sam said, holding up his casted wrist, “This is just a scratch.”</p><p>“Looks like a broken bone to me,” Dave replied.</p><p>“Yeah? When did you become a doctor?” Sam asked.</p><p>Dave just rolled his eyes, “You’re doing a piss poor imitation of Monty Python, by the way.”</p><p>“That’s because you went off script. Besides, apologies if I can’t think properly right now, you just kissed me!” Sam responded, stopping to press the elevator button.</p><p>“I can do it again,” Dave said, moving into Sam’s space and brushing his lips against Sam’s. Sam flipped their positions so Dave’s back was against the wall and deepened the kiss. The elevator dinged, signalling the arrival of the lift, so Sam manuevred them into the cart and continued his explorations. </p><p>“You better be taking me back to your hotel,” Dave grumbled when they finally parted for air.</p><p>“So pushy,” Sam murmured, leaning back in again.</p><p>*****</p><p>Lou poked his head into Steve’s hospital room and smiled. Both men were fast asleep. Even in sleep, the two had migrated closer together; Steve was holding Danny’s hand. The sight wasn’t an unusual one, but there was something about their body language that made Lou think his friends had finally seen the light. There was one way to tell for sure…</p><p>Lou cleared his throat, waking up his friends. Instead of the usual way they let go of each other’s hand, this time their hands remained joined. Lou made a note of it and mentally jumped for joy.</p><p>“Hey, sorry to wake you,” Lou said, not feeling sorry at all. He put his hands in his pockets and leant against the doorframe.</p><p>“Wasn’t asleep, just resting my eyelids,” Steve murmured.</p><p>Danny snorted and stood up to stretch, “Oh yeah, and that ‘snoring’ sound was the grumbling of my stomach.”</p><p>“Hey, I’m recovering from having a collapsed lung! Of course a few things rattle,” Steve responded.</p><p>Lou chuckled, then asked, “How are you feeling today?”</p><p>“Ready to go home,” Steve grumbled.</p><p>“You’ve gotta excuse the grumpiness, Lou, they gave him a blood transfusion from some grumpy old guy,” Danny retorted.</p><p>“You’ve only been here 2 days,” Lou said.</p><p>“2 days too long,” Steve responded, “I should be home already.”</p><p>Danny rolled his eyes at Lou, “Hey, did you ever catch the owner?”</p><p>“Oh yeah, uh, he confessed and threw himself off a cliff… literally,” Lou told them.</p><p>“He…? Uh, he threw himself off the cliff?” Danny asked, “As in, like when Steve says – ”</p><p>“He jumped off the cliff, Danny. As in, he hadn’t intended anyone to get hurt and couldn’t see any other way out,” Lou interrupted.</p><p>“What about his wife?” Steve asked.</p><p>“Divorced 18 months ago,” Lou responded.</p><p>Danny yawned, “I’m off to grab a coffee.”</p><p>“Oh god yes, and a malasada,” Steve answered.</p><p>“Only if you’re good,” Danny told him.</p><p>“Aren’t I always?” Steve asked.</p><p>“If you were, you wouldn’t need to ask,” Danny replied as he walked out, “Lou?”</p><p>“Nah, I had one on the way in.”</p><p>“Talk to me, Lou, got a new case yet? What’ve the kids been up to?” Steve asked, settling himself back against the pillows.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you liked it! Let me know what you thought!</p><p>Thanks again to Phoebe! :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Chapter 24</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As Danny walked into the coffee shop, he spied Sam and a man he assumed was Dave, sitting quietly together. Their closeness indicated that they’d had a talk about how they felt about each other. Danny smiled and ordered the coffees and food, then went to the happy couple.</p>
<p>“Thought you’d abandoned us,” Danny said to Sam, with a grin.</p>
<p>“Danny,” Sam turned to him and smiled in greeting, “Come, pull up a pew.”</p>
<p>“A pew?”</p>
<p>“Seat,” Sam translated, “I want to introduce you to Dave, my uh… my boyfriend. Dave, this is Danny – ”</p>
<p>“Steve’s significant other,” Dave interrupted with a nod, then stood up and extended his hand, “Pleased to meet you Danny.”</p>
<p>“Likewise,” Danny responded, shaking his hand, then sat down, “So you both look well rested.”</p>
<p>Sam blushed deeply, whilst Dave just grinned. “It’s amazing how refreshing a bath can be,” Dave answered.</p>
<p>Danny snorted and shoved his hands into his pockets, “I keep trying to tell Steve that a bath is better than swimming in the ocean, you don’t have to contend with sand.”</p>
<p>“I hate sand too!” Dave exclaimed, with a grin.</p>
<p>“Yes! It just goes everywhere, right?! Beaches would be great if they replaced the sand with concrete!” Danny responded.</p>
<p>Dave laughed heartily and nodded, “And you can keep your humidity too.”</p>
<p>Danny grinned back at him, “Exactly! I’ve been saying this all along! How do you feel about pineapples?”</p>
<p>“They’re the devil,” Dave stated.</p>
<p>Danny laughed, while Sam shook his head at them, “You’re both mad.”</p>
<p>“So, what do you do, Dave?” Danny asked.</p>
<p>“I’ll leave you two to get acquainted, I want to ask Steve something,” Sam said, then got up.</p>
<p>“We’ll be up in a minute,” Danny told him.</p>
<p> “No hurry,” Sam shrugged, then walked around the table to kiss Dave, “See ya in a bit.”</p>
<p>“Laters,” Dave responded, watching his friend as he walked away. He couldn’t help but spy on Sam’s ass, and the man must have realized because he stopped to wiggle it.</p>
<p>Danny snorted and shook his head, “He’s a character.”</p>
<p>“He certainly is,” Dave agreed.</p>
<p>“How long were you two friends before… well, before you became more?” </p>
<p>“We met two and a half years ago,” Dave responded, “I thought he’d permanently friend zoned me, but I decided I needed to know one way or the other. So when I arrived, I kissed him.”</p>
<p>Danny smiled, “He was pretty excited about you coming here.”</p>
<p>“I heard you and Steve finally talked too?” Dave asked.</p>
<p>“Yeah, we talked yesterday. And uh, we’ve known each other for seven years. I wish we’d said something sooner, but…”</p>
<p>Dave smiled, “Yeah, I understand.”</p>
<p>“So uh, yeah, what is it that you do for a living?” Danny asked again.</p>
<p>“I’m a paramedic.”</p>
<p>Danny frowned, trying to join the dots, “So how did you meet Sam?”</p>
<p>“I was a NURSO in the Air Force and I met Sam at a bar on ANZAC day,” Dave responded, then when he saw the look on Danny’s face, he explained, “NURSO is short for nursing officer. And ANZAC is the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. ANZAC day was originally devised as a day we stop to remember the ANZACs who served in the Gallipoli Campaign during WWI. Now though, we observed the day to commemorate all ANZACs who served and died in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations.”</p>
<p>“Much like Remembrance Day then?” Danny surmised.</p>
<p>“Similar, yes,” Dave replied.</p>
<p>“So, do you still work in the Air Force?” Danny asked.</p>
<p>“Yeah, as a reservist,” Dave responded, “Anyway, enough about me, tell me about you.”</p>
<p>“Order for Danny!” the barista called, interrupting their conversation.</p>
<p>Danny ducked to the counter and returned with the goods. “Should we walk and talk?” he asked.</p>
<p>“ ’course,” Dave responded, as he got up and grabbed his coffee cup.</p>
<p>Danny told Dave about how he’d met Steve and how it had been hate at first sight. He explained that he was shot within the first 48 hours of meeting Steve and that it was all the other man’s fault.</p>
<p>Dave laughed, “And yet you continued working with him for the next seven years.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, he got in under my skin,” Danny grumbled, then stopped outside the men’s bathroom, “Ah, I need to see a man about a horse – ”</p>
<p>“Oh, you go ahead, let me take this stuff,” Dave interrupted, taking the coffees and bag of malasadas from him, “What room?”</p>
<p>“Thanks, yeah room four. Just up on the left after the nurse’s station,” Danny directed, “I’ll be in in a minute.”</p>
<p>Dave nodded and followed his directions, heading down to Steve’s room. As he walked in, he realized he was walking in on something. Something that wasn’t sexual, but was intimate. He stopped short and stared at the two men in shock. Clearly he’d misjudged Sam’s relationship with Steve.</p>
<p>Steve and Sam were holding hands, although not in the truest sense. It was like they’d stopped in the middle of a high-five; they were palm to palm with their fingers outstretched. He couldn’t see Sam’s face, but the look on Steve’s face was one of true happiness.</p>
<p>“I should’ve known,” Dave muttered, then put the coffees and food down, before quickly making his escape.</p>
<p>“Dave?” he heard Steve call, but he ignored it.</p>
<p>He strode away, trying to put as much distance as possible between him and the mess of a situation he’d just walked in on. He couldn’t believe how stupid he’d been, thinking he could have his cake and eat it too. He dug out his phone to search for flights back to Sydney. Dave was so engrossed in unlocking his phone, he nearly walked into Danny coming the other way.</p>
<p>“Dave?” Danny asked, looking concerned.</p>
<p>Dave shook his head and continued walking, calling over his shoulder, “I wouldn’t go in there if I was you!”</p>
<p>“You okay?” Danny called back to him, but Dave waved him off.</p>
<p>“Dave?!” Sam shouted.</p>
<p>Dave looked over his shoulder and saw Sam running after him. Rather than wait for an elevator, he went through the door to the stairwell. He wasn’t sure what he thought Sam would do, but he shouldn’t have been surprised when the man followed him.</p>
<p>“Dave, wait!” Sam called, running down the stairs after him, “That wasn’t what it looked like!”</p>
<p>Dave stopped at the top of the next set of stairs and rounded on Sam, “Then what was it? Huh?! I thought we had something!”</p>
<p>“Dave, please,” Sam begged, “We <i>do</i> have something!”</p>
<p>“Then what was that?!” Dave shouted, gesturing angrily back at the stairs.</p>
<p>“I can’t… I can’t tell you. Please, everything will make sense in the next day or so, I swear!” Sam responded.</p>
<p>Dave shook his head and made to head back down the stairs, “You’re incorrigible!” </p>
<p>“Please don’t go, Dave. I swear on… on my mother’s grave, my relationship with Steve is purely platonic. We’re just good friends, that’s all,” Sam begged, sounding close to tears, “You’ve gotta believe me.”</p>
<p>“Then explain what just happened!” Dave shouted, turning back to Sam.</p>
<p>“I … I can’t,” Sam whispered, looking devastated.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you liked it! Let me know what you thought!</p>
<p>Thanks again to Phoebe! :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Chapter 25</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Danny walked into Steve’s room, noting that the coffees had been left haphazardly on the table next to the door. But more than that, the look on Steve’s face spoke volumes. He looked embarrassed, apprehensive and even a little bit afraid.</p>
<p>Danny gestured back out the door, “Uh, what was that about?”</p>
<p>Steve attempted a casual shrug, but it looked forced, “Don’t know.”</p>
<p>“Wanna try that again, babe?” Danny asked, “They were a rosey-glasses, couldn’t-be-more-in-love, happy couple, with rainbows and unicorns when they were downstairs. And now – ”</p>
<p>“Rainbows and unicorns?” Steve interrupted, “That’s a classification of couples?”</p>
<p>“Yes it is! And don’t change the topic,” Danny responded, “And now they’re having a big blue as if they’d been married for uh, decades. So, what happened?”</p>
<p>“It was a misunderstanding, Danno. I was thanking Sam for something and I showed him the Honu, and that’s when Dave walked in,” Steve explained. The explanation sounded reasonable, but there was something about the way that Steve told it said it wasn’t the whole truth. </p>
<p>“Ah, okay. So why did you lie about not knowing what happened?” Danny asked.</p>
<p>“Because I didn’t want you to jump to the wrong conclusion too. Daniel, you mean a lot to me and I’m afraid of losing you, you know that right?” Steve asked. And that was genuine at least. </p>
<p>Danny let out a relieved breath. He wasn’t sure he had the whole story, but he had enough of it to be satisfied….for now. “Of course I know that, Steven. But you’ve gotta know that I’m not going anywhere. You would literally have to uh, drag me away…kicking and screaming.”</p>
<p>Steve gave him a small smile, then outstretched his hand in want. Danny returned the smile and gently kissed Steve’s lips. Steve groaned and made to deepen the kiss, but Danny pulled back.</p>
<p>“Not yet,” Danny whispered against his lips.</p>
<p>“Cock-tease,” Steve whispered back.</p>
<p>“I haven’t even started teasing your cock,” Danny responded. Then he slid a hand down to cup Steve through the thin sheets, “But that time will come… soon.”</p>
<p>Steve lifted his hips to press against Danny’s hand, but Danny gave him a lingering kiss, then left him hanging. “Danny,” Steve whispered, then he sighed and cleared his throat. “You know, I was actually trying to get the coffee,” Steve explained, referring to his outstretched hand earlier.</p>
<p>“I know,” Danny responded with a grin, then grabbed the coffees and the bag of malasadas. He handed Steve his coffee and malasada, “Now, don’t you go getting too used to these things.”</p>
<p>Steve snorted, “You’re the one that’s allergic to cardio.”</p>
<p>************************************</p>
<p>Steve lay in the bed, staring at the ceiling. He knew Danny hadn’t bought his excuse earlier, at least, not entirely. He just hoped Sam could hold up his end. It wasn’t something he would have considered normally asking someone else to do, but these were extraordinary times. And extraordinary times called for extraordinary measures.</p>
<p>The ringing of his phone pierced the silence of the room and Steve started. He rocketed forward to grab the offending item before it woke Danny.</p>
<p>“McGarrett,” he answered softly after only one ring. Steve glanced at Danny, but the man appeared to still be sleeping on the cot beside his.</p>
<p> “Steve, hey. Ah, can you talk?” Sam’s voice came through the line.</p>
<p>“Some,” Steve replied.</p>
<p>“Sorry about before. I didn’t mean for that to happen,” Sam apologized.</p>
<p>“Not your fault,” Steve answered, “Did it uh… Are you still with Dave?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, just. I had to tell him,” Sam told him.</p>
<p>Steve sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. This wasn’t ideal. “How much does he know?”</p>
<p>“The whole thing, Steve. We nearly broke up because of what he saw,” Sam replied.</p>
<p>“God, I’m sorry Sam,” Steve answered, glancing at Danny when he shifted in his sleep. When the man settled again, he added, “I didn’t mean for that to happen.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I know. Uh, how much does Danny know?” Sam asked.</p>
<p>“He knows I lied,” Steve whispered, “I told him I was showing you the Honu.”</p>
<p>Sam chuckled unwittingly, “I’m sure I told him I’d been to Hawaii before.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, well the main point is he believed it,” Steve told him.</p>
<p>“Yeah, for now he does. Uh, anyway, I needed to call to see if we’re still a go?”</p>
<p>Steve watched Danny sleeping for a moment. The man’s chest steadily rising and falling with each breath. There were no two ways about this. “Yeah, we’re still a go.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you liked it! Let me know what you thought!</p>
<p>Thanks again to Phoebe!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Chapter 26</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Danny quietly got up and went into the bathroom attached to Steve’s room. He sat on the toilet and stared at his reflection, trying to make sense of what he’d just heard. It was clear that Steve was keeping something from him. That much was obvious. </p>
<p>The more he analysed what he’d heard, the more he was convinced that he’d been misled about the relationship between Sam and Steve. Everything from the kiss they admitted to in the nightclub, to apparently doing the Honu.</p>
<p><i>“Yeah, well the main point is he believed it.”</i> Steve’s voice replayed in his head.</p>
<p>If Steve wasn’t showing Sam the Honu, then what were they doing? Danny considered the position, their hands and foreheads touching… Maybe Dave had stumbled in on them kissing… And then they’d tried to pass it off as the Honu. It would certainly explain why Dave had bolted after catching them. It would also explain why Steve had asked Sam if he was still with Dave – although, maybe there was a different reason for that.</p>
<p>“Danno, you okay in there?” Steve’s voice came through the door.</p>
<p>Danny shook his head, he didn’t know what to believe anymore. He left the bathroom and glanced at Steve, who was now sitting up on the bed. The man looked worried, and so he should be. But Danny didn’t have the energy to confront him now. </p>
<p>“I’ve gotta get some air,” Danny muttered, grabbing his stuff.</p>
<p>“Danno,” Steve said, “Uh, everything okay?”</p>
<p>Danny made an aborted move with his hand, “I don’t know, okay? I just need to … get outta here.”</p>
<p>“Are you coming back?” Steve asked, and this time, the worry on his face had bled into his voice.</p>
<p>Danny stopped at the door and sighed, “I uh, I don’t know.” With that, he turned around and left the room. He needed to seriously think about what he was doing.  </p>
<p>******************</p>
<p>Sam knocked on Steve’s door and let himself and Dave in. He shook his head when he saw that Steve was alone and attempting to get dressed. The man was breathing heavily and struggling to put the clothes on, but that didn’t stop him from trying.</p>
<p>Steve looked up when Sam walked in and asked, “Did you get it?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, sit down before you fall down, and I’ll show you. Where’s Danny?” Sam asked.</p>
<p>“He split. I don’t think he’s coming back,” Steve told him, ignoring him and continuing to try getting into his clothes.</p>
<p>Dave nodded and leant against the wall, “Well that explains why you’re making a jail-break.”</p>
<p>“Sit down, Steven. Don’t make me force you,” Sam tried again.</p>
<p>Steve capitulated, sitting on the edge of the bed, “Okay, show me.”</p>
<p>“Wow, you know, don’t overdo the pleasantries, mate,” Sam muttered, then pulled out the small black box and handed it to Steve.</p>
<p>Steve’s face lit up when he saw it, but it was tinged with a sadness. “God, I hope I’m not too late.”</p>
<p>“I don’t think that’ll be a problem,” Dave put in his two-cents worth, “Not once you give him that.”</p>
<p>Steve glanced at him for a moment, then focused back on the small black box. He opened it and stared at the two platinum bands inside. His heart started pounding as he thought about what this meant. He thought about what had happened last time he’d tried proposing to someone he loved, the rejection still hurt to this day. But he knew that this was the real thing. He would never have even entertained the idea of proposing to Cath if he thought he could have had Danny.</p>
<p>It wasn’t that he hadn’t loved Cath, he had. But it was different. He’d wanted to propose to Cath because it was more socially acceptable for him to be with a woman. So he hadn’t even considered his growing feelings for his partner at the time. </p>
<p>Now though, well that had all changed. He gently removed one of the rings and fitted it to his finger. It fit perfectly. His eyes brimmed with tears as he looked at Sam, “Thank you.”</p>
<p>Sam smiled back, “I’ll send you the bill later.”</p>
<p>Steve snorted, then stared at the ring on his finger. It looked good. Hopefully Danny’s looked as good on his finger. Provided of course that the man said yes. </p>
<p>“Guess it’s time for you to get your man,” Sam told him.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Steve answered, taking the ring off and putting it back in the box, “And you got a size 7 for Danny?”</p>
<p>“Yep, and for reference, you’re a size 8,” Sam answered.</p>
<p>Steve smiled, “Noted.” He got up and started struggling into his pants again, “He said he needed some air, but he’s probably gone home.”</p>
<p>“Here, lean on me,” Sam said, stepping forward to support his friend.</p>
<p>“Mahalo,” Steve muttered, letting Sam help him.</p>
<p>And of course that’s when Danny walked back into the room…</p>
<p>**************************************************</p>
<p>Danny only had to look at the compromising position he’d found Steve and Sam in when he walked back into the room to confirm what he already knew. Dave standing awkwardly in the room, didn’t do anything to assuage his concerns.</p>
<p>“Danny,” Steve said, sounding surprised.</p>
<p>Sam jumped back and looked at him guiltily. Dave pushed himself off the wall, “We’ll leave you two in peace.”</p>
<p>“No, it’s fine. I just forgot my keys,” Danny responded, bee-lining to the table he’d left his keys on. When he turned around, he couldn’t help looking back at Steve and saying, “I think we need to remain friends, so whatever notion you had of us being more… just ah, just forget it. I think it’s for the best.”</p>
<p>He noticed Sam and Dave quietly leave the room, but he only had eyes for Steve. Steve finally managed to button up his pants and zip himself up. “Danny,” he said, then sighed, “God, you have amazing timing.”</p>
<p>“Let me guess, that wasn’t what it looked like, huh? What the hell is the matter with you? First you expect me to believe that you were showing Sam the Honu… Well, we both know that’s a lie,” Danny responded, gesturing angrily.</p>
<p>“I know, and yes, I lied about that,” Steve admitted, “If you let me explain – ”</p>
<p>“I think that’s a good idea! Don’t you?!” Danny exclaimed.</p>
<p>“He was measuring my hand,” Steve responded, then stood in front of him, “Look, can we just reset for a minute? I think – ”</p>
<p>“What the hell are you talking about?!” Danny interrupted again.</p>
<p>“Danny,” Steve made to put his hands on Danny’s shoulders, but Danny stepped out of his reach. Steve sighed, then dug something out of his pocket. He clumsily dropped to the floor, the movement making Danny feel guilty about pushing him so soon after he nearly died.</p>
<p>Danny quickly knelt beside Steve, “Steve babe, you okay?”</p>
<p>Steve was panting heavily, but nodded and gestured for him to give him some space. Then surprisingly, Steve chuckled, still sounding out of breath. “Danno, wouldya just stand up? I’m trying to do something here,” Steve asked.</p>
<p>“What? What are you talking about?”</p>
<p>Steve showed him a small black box, “Danny, I’m trying to propose to you. Would you stand up?”</p>
<p>Suddenly, the pieces of the puzzle started to make sense. “The… Sam was measuring your hand? For this?” Danny whispered, tears starting to prick around his eyes, “And the secrecy?”</p>
<p>“Danny,” Steve sighed, then knelt properly. He opened the box and faced the open end to Danny, “Daniel Williams, we’ve been through a lot over the years. I would never have thought when you pulled your weapon on me seven years ago that I would have fallen for you so hard, or so fast.</p>
<p>“It took me by surprise. And you know I tried to keep you at arms length, but you just wormed your way into my heart. I love you so much it hurts. Danno, will you marry me?” Steve asked.</p>
<p>Danny stared at the bands in the box, trying to wrap his head around what was happening. His head hurt from the emotional extremes he’d gone through today. “Steve,” he whispered, running his index finger along the rings. He couldn’t believe his partner had bought them rings. He couldn’t believe he’d just been proposed to. “I mean, we haven’t even been on a date yet,” he couldn’t help saying.</p>
<p>“Plenty of time for that,” Steve answered.</p>
<p>Danny grimaced, “What if you’re terrible in bed?”</p>
<p>“I’m <i>amazing</i> in bed!” Steve exclaimed, with a grin. Then the grin left his face and his stomach dropped as he realized what was happening, “Are you … are you saying no?”     </p>
<p>“I just think it’s a bit soon, that’s all,” Danny told him.</p>
<p>“A bit soon? Danny, we’ve just dating for years!” Steve responded.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I know,” Danny said, then tried to explain, “Steven, I rushed into getting married before and it didn’t work out so well. I don’t want to make the same mistake again.”</p>
<p>“I’m not Rachael, Daniel,” Steve said, then stood up, ignoring the unsteady wobble when he stood up too fast, “I can’t believe you’re arguing with me about proposing to you.” </p>
<p>Danny stood up too and placed a steadying hand on Steve’s shoulder, “Why don’t you sit down. And I’m not arguing with the proposal.”</p>
<p>“No, but you are saying no,” Steve agreed, taking a seat on the bed.</p>
<p>“Well, not entirely. I’m uh… can I think about it?” Danny asked, sitting next to him.</p>
<p>“It’s just not what I expected you to say,” Steve said softly, “I mean, what is it that you’re unsure about?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know,” Danny admitted, “But yesterday, we were just coworkers and good friends – ”</p>
<p>“Danno, we’ve been more than that for years,” Steve interrupted.</p>
<p>“Yes, but we’ve only just officially recognized that. This just seems too sudden. I’m still trying to wrap my head around you now being my boyfriend, let alone my fiancée,” Danny responded, “I’m not saying no, I really want to say yes – ”</p>
<p>“Then say yes,” Steve interrupted again, trying to impress how simple a decision this could be.</p>
<p>“I can’t, babe. Just not yet, okay?” Danny responded, “Give it some time.”</p>
<p>Steve sighed heavily, “You hit your head in the building, didn’t you? Huh? You still have concussion, right?”</p>
<p>Danny smiled and bumped his shoulder, “If that makes you feel better, yeah.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So yeah, Danny was supposed to say yes, but clearly he had other ideas. I'm a little stuck now, but I'm sure I'll think of something :P</p>
<p>Hope you liked it! Let me know what you thought!</p>
<p>Thanks again to Phoebe!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Chapter 27</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Steve blew into the device as hard as he could and was finally rewarded by the third ball rising above the designated line. The device was designed to help his lungs recover after the surgery. It was composed of a tube that went to a device holding three small tubes. In each of the three tubes was a small ball of a different weight. There was a line about three quarters of the way up the tube.</p>
<p>Steve pulled the device away from his mouth and coughed hard. He panted shakily and coughed again, which made his chest scream in pain. He held his side in an attempt to lesson the pain, but was unable to stop the small groan escaping his mouth.</p>
<p>“You’re doing really well, Steve,” his Physio, Ben, encouraged him, “Just one more.”</p>
<p>“I’d rather walk around the ward again,” Steve replied between breaths.</p>
<p>Ben smiled at him, “I’m sure you’d rather do anything instead, including running a marathon.”</p>
<p>“It crossed my mind,” Steve admitted.</p>
<p>Ben snorted, “I don’t find that at all surprising. Okay Steve, last one.”</p>
<p>Steve sighed, but picked up the device again and started blowing through it. The first ball rocketed to the top of the tube. As soon as the first was at the top, the second ball went up, slower than the first though. Once it passed the line, the third ball started moving. This one rose slowly, inching its way upwards. </p>
<p>Steve blew harder, ignoring the pain in his chest for the moment. He was rewarded by the ball going faster, but only by a small amount. Then finally, it passed the dreaded line. Steve pulled the device away from his mouth and tried to recover his breath, but was only rewarded by a fit of coughing.</p>
<p>Every cough sent a wave of pain through his chest. Getting stabbed hurt less than this. </p>
<p>“Well done, Steven,” Ben congratulated him.</p>
<p>Steve grimaced through the pain, “Steve, please.”</p>
<p>Ben nodded to acknowledge the correction, “Of course, sorry Steve. Okay, so that’s all your exercises for today. I’ll leave the spirometer with you, feel free to use it, but don’t overdo it. You’re still recovering.”</p>
<p>“Overdo it? Me?” Steve asked dubiously, “I wouldn’t do that.”</p>
<p>“Yes well, I heard you tore some of your stitches open yesterday,” Ben responded.</p>
<p>Steve sighed, this time the ache in his chest had nothing to do with his broken ribs or his recent surgery. After Danny had made his exit, Steve realized he’d torn his stitches when he’d tried to kneel down. “The nurses promised they wouldn’t say anything,” he said softly.</p>
<p>“They didn’t have to,” Ben replied, tapping his medical file, “It’s all in here.”</p>
<p>“When can I get outta here?” Steve asked. He felt like a prisoner; he had things to do, people to see… Danny. It made him feel more frustrated than anything else. He needed to get through to Danny and get him to see sense. And he couldn’t do that when the man was avoiding him.</p>
<p>“Your case is being reviewed this morning,” Ben responded, “Should have a better idea after that. Just be patient.”</p>
<p> “I’ve been patient,” Steve told him, “I’ve been here for four days.”</p>
<p>Ben nodded, “I’ll see what I can find out. I know it’s no consolation to you, but most patients stay here for at least a week after any lung surgery.”</p>
<p>“I’m not most patients,” Steve replied, “And if they say I have to wait here another three days, I’ll sign myself out.”</p>
<p>“I wouldn’t advise that,” Ben told him.</p>
<p>“That’s why they call it ‘against medical advice’,” Steve retorted, “Look, you seem like a nice guy, but there’s something I need to do. I can’t stay here.”</p>
<p>“Okay, I’ll see what I can do,” Ben responded, moving towards the door.</p>
<p>“That’d be great, mahalo,” Steve replied, “Oh hey, is there anyone waiting for me out there?”</p>
<p>Ben opened the door and nodded, “Want me to let them in?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, thanks,” Steve responded. His heart jumped in anticipation of seeing Danny again. He started thinking of all the arguments he could make to get Danny to see the light. At least the man had come back.</p>
<p>But the person – or more accurately, people – who entered his room were definitely not Danny. He couldn’t help the disappointed look on his face when Sam and Dave walked in.</p>
<p>“Where’s Danny?” he asked, even though it was clear the man wasn’t with them.</p>
<p>“I was going to ask you the same thing,” Sam replied, sharing a glance with Dave.</p>
<p>Steve sighed, “Things didn’t go to plan yesterday.”</p>
<p>“He said n- ? What did he say?” Sam asked.</p>
<p>Steve shrugged and deliberately looked at anywhere apart from his visitors, he didn’t want them to see the emotion on his face. Not that he thought they couldn’t see it anyway. “He said he needed to think about it,” he finally responded.</p>
<p>“So he didn’t say no?” Sam asked.</p>
<p>“He said not yet, and then he said he needed to think,” Steve clarified.</p>
<p>“Then what?” Dave asked, then added when Sam sent him a strange look, “I mean, if he bolted afterwards, then he’s probably trying to figure out how to say no. But if he stuck around for a bit, well… That might mean something different.”</p>
<p>Steve nodded in agreement, “He stayed here for an hour or two after, just talking. I tried to get him to change his mind, but he just wanted to sit here and reminisce about the last seven years.”</p>
<p>“That’s probably good news, then, right?” Sam responded, glancing at Dave.</p>
<p>“I’d think so,” Dave replied.</p>
<p>“Hope so,” Steve murmured, then he brightened up, “Hey, how do you feel about breaking me outta here?”</p>
<p>“For sure,” Sam responded, at the same time Dave said, “Absolutely not.”</p>
<p>“What?” Sam asked, looking at his new boyfriend.</p>
<p>“No,” Dave iterated, then said sternly when Sam was about to argue with him, “Samuel Graeme, if the medical professionals have said no, he’s not going anywhere.”</p>
<p>“They told me I could leave whenever I wanted,” Steve lied.</p>
<p>“Nice try,” Dave responded, “Would have been more believable if you hadn’t used the phrase ‘break me out’.”</p>
<p>“Sorry mate, looks like we can’t get you out today,” Sam apologized.</p>
<p>Steve sighed, “Okay, but if you see Danny – ”</p>
<p>“We’ll tell him to come talk to you,” Dave interrupted.</p>
<p>“Mahalo,” Steve responded.</p>
<p>***************************</p>
<p>Danny sat on the small rock wall at his special outlook and stared unseeingly at the view. </p>
<p>
  <i>“I’m cold” Steve answered and gave a wet sounding cough, “Where are you, Danno?”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Danny’s stomach dropped as he realised something had happened to his partner, “What’s the last thing you remember, Steve?” </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“Why’s my head wet?” Steve asked. He sounded worse than before and it made Danny afraid for his partner. </i>
</p>
<p>Danny ran a hand through his hair, reliving the pain of finding out what’d happened to Steve. It made his chest ache. At the time, it had felt even worse because he didn’t think he’d ever see Steve again, let alone get the chance to admit his feelings for him.</p>
<p>
  <i>Steve gave a weak cough, but didn’t open his eyes, “You ‘kay?” </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“I didn’t just have a building fall on top of me. You holding up okay?” Danny responded. <i></i></i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“I don’t… Don’t want to…” Steve said, in between breaths, “Don’t want to share you with Rachel.”</i>
</p>
<p>
Danny’s eyes started to well up with tears as he was reminded of how close he got to losing Steve. Things could have gone sideways in a big way and he never would have had the chance to know what being with Steve really meant. As much as the man put on a front of not feeling emotions, he felt things deeply. He tried not to show it, but it was clear to Danny in everything he did.
 
</p>
<p>
 It was why Danny invited himself over to Steve’s place whenever they had finished a difficult case. Because Steve would never admit how much it hurt him. It was probably also a bit to ease Danny’s feelings after a tough case. But at least Danny dealt with his emotions in a healthy way. Steve on the other hand…
</p>
<p>
 He probably shouldn’t have been surprised that Steve proposed to him 10 seconds after they’d decided to try a relationship.
</p>
<p>
  <i>Steve swallowed hard and studied Danny’s face as he finally admitted, “I mean it every time I say it.” </i>
</p>
<p>
Shy wasn’t a word Danny would normally associate with his wayward partner, not when the man was so confident in everything he did. But when it came to emotions, the man was a mess. 
</p>
<p>
<i>A look passed over Steve’s face, which made the man look constipated. When he finally spoke, he sounded somehow vulnerable, “Sam said you volunteered to enter the building after it collapsed. He said you helped rescue me? Why? Why did you do that?” </i></p>
<p>
  <i>“What was I supposed to do, Steven? Huh? Leave you down there to rot? Of course I had to go down there! I mean, we’ve been partners for seven years!” Danny exclaimed. </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Steve went silent for a while, then finally asked, “Would you have gone down there for anyone else on the team?” </i>
</p>
<p>Danny sighed heavily, Steve’s parents had a lot to answer for. He was going to have serious words with Doris the next time she decided to pay Steve a visit. Maybe if she’d stuck around when Steve was a child, he wouldn’t have grown up to be an emotionally retarded adult. Who the hell proposed to someone before they’d even gone on a date? The man just went from zero to 160 in ten seconds.</p>
<p>Maybe it was a self-protection thing. Maybe he’d proposed to Danny because he didn’t want to lose him – it would be harder for Danny to leave if they were married. He thought of the look on Steve’s face as he proposed; it was a mix between excited and terrified. But then, most men (or women) proposing probably looked the same way.</p>
<p>He thought of his proposal to Rachael and how nervous and excited he’d been. But that had been different. Looking back over it now, he realized that the idea to propose to Rachael hadn’t really been his. Rachael had used him the same way she had when she forced their introduction. She had planted the idea in his head in that subtle way she had, until he thought it was his idea to propose. It wasn’t that he blamed her for what she did – far from it. But it had been her idea, not his. He would have got there eventually…</p>
<p>Danny turned his new phone over and over in his hand, mindlessly playing with it whilst he tried to figure out what to do. He wanted to say yes; his whole body screamed at him tear back to the hospital and to lay claim to his man.</p>
<p>He turned his phone over again, then stopped and stared at the screen. On a whim, he entered a number and pressed the call button. Pressing the phone to his ear, he waited for the phone to be answered.</p>
<p>“Hello?” his mother’s voice greeted him, “Daniel, is everything okay?”</p>
<p>Danny stood up and started pacing, the movement helped ease the tension in his body. “Hi Mama,” he answered, “Yeah, just calling to see how you are.”</p>
<p>“Oh, I’m fine darling. Now I know that’s not true, what’s wrong?” Clara replied.</p>
<p>Danny shook his head, he should have counted on his mum being able to read him like a book. “I ah, why did you say yes when dad proposed to you?” he finally asked.</p>
<p>“We’re not starting this argument again, Danny, your father and – ”
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“No, I’m not starting anything, mom,” Danny interrupted, “I just… I mean, I never asked you why you said yes.”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Because I loved him, Danny,” Clara responded.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“That simple, huh?” Danny asked.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“What’s going on, Danny? What’s this about? Have you met a girl?” Clara asked.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Danny let out a hysterical sounding laugh, before quickly tampering it down. “Not exactly,” he answered cryptically, “It’s about Steve.”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Oh!” Clara responded, drawing out the ‘o’ as if in understanding, “Talk to me, darling, what happened?”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Wait, what do you mean ‘oh’?” Danny asked instead.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Daniel, I saw the way he looked at you. And you looked at him the same way. I’ve been waiting for this moment – whatever it is – for a few years now. Now, tell me what happened,” she answered.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“We uh, well we finally talked. And then, not even 24 hours later, he proposed to me! I mean, who does that?!” Danny exclaimed, pacing furiously up and down the outlook.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Clearly someone who’s very much in love with you. And what did you say?” Clara asked.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“I told him to hold the horses! I can’t go getting married to him, we haven’t even been on a date, we haven’t… there’s lots of things we haven’t done. And he wants to just go riding off into the sunset as if this is a normal chain of events – and maybe it is for his kind of people! But normal people don’t do this! Well, I mean, unless you’re in Vegas. But we’re not in Vegas!” Danny exclaimed.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Take a breath, Daniel. You’re hyperventilating,” Clara said to him, “So you said no?”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“No, I said I needed to think about it,” Danny answered, then took a deep breath, “I don’t know what to do, mama.”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“What does your heart say?” Clara asked.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“It can’t be that simple,” Danny refuted.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Why not?” Clara asked, “You already know what kind of man Steve is. Do you think that dating him would show you a side of him that you don’t already know?”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“So you think I should say yes?” Danny asked.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“I think the decision is yours to make, Daniel. But I think you already know the answer,” Clara responded.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Yeah, I suppose I do,” Danny replied, “Hey ah, I’ve gotta go, I’ll call you later?”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Of course, baby,” Clara responded, then hung up.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Danny put his phone away and stared back out at the view. Maybe his mother was right, maybe it was that simple after all. He loved Steve, that’s all that mattered.</i>
  </i>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry about the delay, had to have a good think about this chapter. </p>
<p>Hope you liked it! Let me know what you thought!</p>
<p>Thanks again to Phoebe!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Chapter 28</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <i>“Wait, don’t go just yet,” Danny said, hanging on to his hand, preventing him from leaving him. The dust from the collapsed building giving him an ashen appearance, broken only by the blood on his face. </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“Wait a minute, Danny, it’s gonna be okay – ” Steve tried convincing Danny that he would be okay for the few minutes it would take to find something to get the concrete block off him. </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“Is it? Because uh, I’m in a confined space with a bunch of concrete on top of me, and given my condition it’s not the best situation, you know what I mean?” Danny asked him. </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i> “Your claustrophobia,” Steve responded, knowing exactly what Danny was getting at.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i> “Yeah,” Danny confirmed. </i>
</p>
<p>Danny had been scared the first time they’d been in a collapsed building, but to go in when he had the choice to stay out in the open air… Well, it spoke volumes. Which then begged the question, exactly why he’d run away when Steve had proposed. </p>
<p>Steve grunted in pain as he struggled into his clothes. He’d had enough of sitting around in this hell hole. He needed to talk to Danny. He didn’t know what he was going to say to the man, he’d already made his most compelling arguments and they hadn’t swayed the guy. </p>
<p>Sam and Dave thought he just needed to give Danny some space, but if Steve knew Danny at all, then he knew there was a high likelihood man would talk himself out of it. Danny had a bad habit of sabotaging anything that made him happy, he’d admitted it to Steve when they were in the collapsed parking garage three years ago. </p>
<p>
  <i>“Yeah, I’ll probably screw it up like I do everything else. It’s not in my DNA to be happy,” Danny said as he made his way to their extraction point. </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i> “I didn’t mean that,” Steve objected, following behind Danny, “No, that’s not what I meant.” </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i> “No, I’m officially agreeing with you. There is something wrong with the way that I’m built. I can’t uh, I can’t just enjoy happiness like regular people, you know.” Danny responded. </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i> “You don’t think you’re being a little hard on yourself?” Steve asked. </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i> “No, I don’t,” Danny replied, “When I was a kid and my parents would go out for dinner and I used to imagine that they’d been in a car wreck just because they were 15 minutes late. And I used to talk to God and I’d say, I’d beg him and I’d say please just take my dad, not my mom because I can’t live without my mom. I mean, anytime anything good happens in my life, I just, I think about when it’s going to end, it’s all I can think about.” </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i> Steve shone his flash light at Danny, “For real?” </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i> “Yeah.”</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i> “That’s not normal,” Steve told him. </i>
</p>
<p>
    <i> “I know,” Danny replied. </i>
</p>
<p>Even if, by some miracle, the guy had decided to give them a chance, he was already thinking about how he’d fuck it up. And he thought <i>Steve</i> was an emotional wreck with abandonment issues.
</p>
<p>
He just needed to convince Danny to give him a chance. Maybe… maybe they didn’t need to get married straight away, maybe they didn’t even need to get engaged just yet… Maybe the guy was right, it was possible that he’d jumped the gun and proposed too soon. But the fact of the matter was that he knew his heart and he knew how he felt about Danny. And that wasn’t going to change any time soon.
</p>
<p>
Steve grimaced in pain as he bent down to tie up his shoes. He tried for all of three seconds, before figuring it was too hard and instead tucked the laces into the shoe. It’d have to do until he got home.
</p>
<p>
There was a soft knock on the door, followed by Tani and Junior entering.
</p>
<p>
“Oh, breaking out already I see!” Tani exclaimed, but she had a grin on her face.
</p>
<p>
“Yeah, you seen Danny?” he asked.
</p>
<p>
“Thought he’d be here,” Junior responded.
</p>
<p>
"No, he took off. So uh, he’s not at the office?” Steve asked, at least he didn’t need to check there now.
</p>
<p>
  Junior pulled out his cell, “Want me to call him?”
</p>
<p>
  Steve shook his head, “I’ve been trying all morning, he’s avoiding me. Hey uh, can you give me a lift to my truck?”
</p>
<p>
  “There’s no way you’re driving in your condition,” Tani answered first, giving Junior a warning look.
</p>
<p>
  Steve glanced at Junes, but the man just shrugged and said, “What she said.”
</p>
<p>
  “My condition?! I’m not pregnant, Tani,” Steve replied, lowering his voice when he realized he’d snapped at her, “Sorry.”
</p>
<p>
  “S’ok, I know it’s been a stressful day or two,” Tani responded easily, “Or week, you know.”
</p>
<p>
  “We’re still giving him a lift home though, right?” Junior asked, “I mean, that’s why we came over.”
</p>
<p>
  “You came here to break me out?” Steve asked, amused despite himself.
</p>
<p>
  “Yeah, can’t have you terrorizing the staff here any more than strictly necessary. We consulted the MITH o’meter and found that you were due for release,” Tani responded.
</p>
<p>
  “MITH o’meter?” Steve parroted back in confusion.
</p>
<p>
  “Yeah, the McGarrett-In-The-Hospital o’meter. We plug in the type of injury you had and it gives us the uh, the length of time we expect you to be in hospital before you’re climbing the walls and harassing the staff,” Tani responded with a grin.
</p>
<p>
  Junior snorted, “Come on, Sir, we can fill you in on the way.”
</p>
<p>
  "What'd I tell you about calling me 'Sir'?" Steve said with a frown, but grabbed his backpack and followed him out of the room, “We catch a case?”
</p>
<p>
  “No, helping out with an old one. Duke asked us to check it over, get a set of new eyes on it,” Tani responded.
</p>
<p>
  ***********************
</p>
<p>
  Danny drove like a man possessed, Steve would have been proud. He flew through the traffic until he finally reached Tripler. He made short work of scoring a carpark and ran up four flights of stairs to get to Steve’s room. 
</p>
<p>
  He quickly took a moment to compose himself before he entered the room. He fingered the small black box in his pocket, thankful that Steve had insisted he keep it until he knew. Danny gave a strained smile, then went inside. But instead of finding Steve in the room, he found a bewildered orderly making the bed.
</p>
<p>
  “Uh, where’s Steve?” Danny asked breathlessly.
</p>
<p>
  The guy shrugged, “Not here. Got told to make up the room.”
</p>
<p>
  Danny heaved a frustrated sigh, then repeated his question at the nurses station. At least this time, they told him what he already knew. Steve had bailed.
</p>
<p>
  Danny groaned and raced out of the hospital and back down to his car. As he screeched out of the carpark, he dialed Junior’s number. Thankfully the man picked up on the second ring.
</p>
<p>
  “Junes, hey did you bust Steve out of hospital?” Danny asked without pretense.
</p>
<p>
  “Oh, we are so busted,” Junior said, clearly speaking to Tani.
</p>
<p>
  The phone was passed to Tani, who said, “The MITHo’meter said he needed an extraction.”
</p>
<p>
  “It’s not root canal, Tani. And the MITHo’meter isn’t real,” Danny responded.
</p>
<p>
  “It’s real enough,” Tani hedged.
</p>
<p>
  Danny would have rolled his eyes, but he needed his full and undivided attention on the road, “Did you take him home?”
</p>
<p>
  “Yeah, he’s looking for you, you know,” Tani responded.
</p>
<p>
  “Keep him there, I’m like, 20 minutes away,” Danny replied, then hung up. He put on his lights and sirens for good measure, he didn’t want to waste another minute longer than needed.
</p>
<p>
  Danny weaved through the traffic like a mad-man. He was careful, but still a hell of a lot faster than he normally drove. It didn’t take long to finally arrive at Steve’s place. As he walked into the house, he saw Tani and Junior coming the other way, they’d clearly heard him arrive.
</p>
<p>
  “He’s out back,” Tani told him, indicating by pointing a thumb over her shoulder.
</p>
<p>
  Junior awkwardly patted his shoulder, “Good luck.”
</p>
<p>
  “Ah, thanks,” Danny responded.
</p>
<p>
  Danny took a deep breath, then slowly walked out to where Steve was standing by the water’s edge. Steve had his back to him, but he still looked gorgeous. But to be fair, Steve could be covered in crap and still look amazing to him.
</p>
<p>
  Something caught Steve’s attention and he turned to face him. There was an uncertainty in his face when he looked at Danny, and it tore Danny up to know that he was the cause of it. “Danny?” Steve asked softly.
</p>
<p>
  The words that Danny had rehearsed on the way to the hospital, and then again on the way to Steve’s, died in his mouth. His mind went completely blank and he found it hard to remember any of the words that he wanted to say. His mouth went as dry as the Sahara desert and he felt his heart pounding in his chest as if it would beat its way out of the cavity.
</p>
<p>
  “Take a seat, Steve,” Danny finally got out.
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you liked it! Let me know what you thought! :)</p>
<p>Thanks again to Phoebe!</p>
<p>There's probably only a few chapters left of this fic, but I'll make sure they're worthwhile! :D</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0029"><h2>29. Chapter 29</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Steve analysed Danny’s face, his whole body language, trying to figure out what Danny was going to say. He wanted to do what Danny had suggested and sit down, but only because his chest was in agony and the trip home had taken more out of him than he wanted to admit. But he didn’t think he wanted to be seated for this particular conversation. </p><p>“No, think I’ll continue standing,” Steve responded, “I’ve been sitting for weeks.”</p><p>“I really think you should sit, Steven, you shouldn’t be over-exerting yourself in your condition – ”</p><p>“My cond- I’m not pregnant! Why does everyone – ” Steve interrupted, only for Danny to talk over him again.</p><p>“You could tear your stitches again! What the hell is the matter with you?!”</p><p>Steve took a deep breath, ignoring the pain in his ribs as he did so, “What are you doing here, Danny?” </p><p>Danny sighed and took the small black box out of his pocket. He fidgeted with it nervously as he started talking, “I’ve ah, I did some thinking.”</p><p>Steve wanted to make a wise crack about his partner ‘thinking’, but now wasn’t the time. He pursed his lips and waited for Danny to continue.</p><p>“About us,” Danny said, then paused. He flipped the box over and over. “I couldn’t help but think of the reasons that ah, that this wouldn’t work. I mean, dating you is one thing, but marrying you…? I just, I don’t know.”</p><p>“Danny – ”</p><p>“No, Steven. Let me finish. The ball’s in my court, okay? You made the first move, now it’s my turn,” Danny interrupted, “You… ah, I mean, we work in the same office, which is always problematic. There’s a reason fraternisation in the workplace is frowned upon, okay? You know that as well as anybody else.”</p><p>“We can work that out – ”</p><p>“Would you just shut up?! Okay? No talking!” Danny exclaimed, “You are driven, like so much. You have a one-track mind, babe. You just, you get something in your head and you just go after it at all costs. Even if that cost is not in your best interests. I mean, I’ve known you for seven years and I can’t even count anymore how many times you’ve nearly died. Not even if I used my fingers and toes and borrowed yours too.</p><p>“And don’t get me started on how you attract trouble, generally. I mean, if I looked up ‘trouble magnet’ in the dictionary, your picture would be there. I don’t know how you even survived as an intelligence officer, let alone as a SEAL,” Danny continued. He took a deep breath and shifted his feet nervously, “You are fearless, you have an uncanny ability to remain calm under incredible pressure and you’re loyal to a fault. I mean, you’re willing to risk anything for someone you care about.”</p><p>“Danny – ”</p><p>“Why are you speaking?! Zip-it!” Danny exclaimed, waving his arms, then getting back in control of himself. He took a deep, steadying breath before continuing, “You are terrible with people and you have control issues – ”</p><p>“I don’t have control issues,” Steve interrupted.</p><p>“You don’t let me drive me own car!” Danny exclaimed.</p><p>“I can change, Danny,” Steve pleaded.</p><p>“No you can’t,” Danny responded, “And I wouldn’t want you to. I’m just saying that you are the polar opposite of me.”</p><p>“Are you – are you breaking up with me?” Steve asked in shock.</p><p>Then Danny laughed, it nearly sounded hysterical. He shook his head, “No, no I’m not breaking up with you, okay? I’m getting there, just… just let me finish, okay? Ah, you are um, you’re intelligent. And you’re goofy, you have a wicked sense of humour and I love it. Okay? Ah, I love you, Steve. I have for a long time and you know, my mom’s right, dating you wouldn’t show me a side of you that I don’t already know.”</p><p>“What?” Steve asked with a frown, wondering what the hell Danny was getting at. He held his hand against his side in an attempt to stop the pain from standing for so long.</p><p>“I love everything about you and ah, it terrifies me. But I want to give this a shot – I mean, more than a shot. I want everything,” Danny responded, then he knelt on the sand in front of Steve and opened the box, “So will you marry me?”</p><p>“You – you’re proposing to me?” Steve asked, “What the hell, Danny?! You can’t – I proposed to you! You’re just supposed to say yes or no!”</p><p>“Yes, but I wanted a do-over,” Danny responded, “So I’m doing it properly.”</p><p>“Because the proposal in the hospital wasn’t what you had in mind?” Steve asked, incredibly.</p><p>Danny grinned, “Partly. I also wanted to be the one to ask.”</p><p>“And you call me the control freak,” Steve muttered, then waved his arms, instantly regretting the motion as a wave of pain shot up his side. He took a couple of shallow breaths in an attempt to regain his composure, “Fine. Yes! Of course the answer’s yes!” </p><p>“Oh, thank god!” Danny responded, then quickly stood up and hugged him. Then he abruptly pulled away and stared at Steve for a moment, before pulling Steve’s t-shirt up.</p><p>“Danny – ” Steve protested.</p><p>“Goddammit, Steven!” Danny exclaimed when he saw the blood stain on Steve’s bandage, “Would you sit down already?! What the hell is the matter with you, you animal!”</p><p>“I feel fine, Daniel,” Steve responded.</p><p>“Just sit down,” Danny told him, then helped him into the deck chair, “Stay there, I’ll go get the first aid kit.”</p><p>“Okay,” Steve agreed, it felt good to sit down. It felt even better that Danny had actually said yes. He watched Danny head back to the house, he couldn’t wait to do more than kiss the guy. But that would have to wait. “Hey Danny!” he called.</p><p>“Yeah, babe?” Danny called back.</p><p>“I love you,” Steve responded.</p><p>Danny grinned, “Love you too, babe.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you liked it! Let me know what you thought!</p><p>Thanks again to Phoebe!</p><p>So this fic feels done to me, but there's a loose end or two that need tying up, so alas, there will be another chapter or two to go :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0030"><h2>30. Chapter 30</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Steve opened his eyes and slowly sat up. He frowned as he realised he was alone. He hadn’t even realised he’d fallen asleep. </p><p>After patching him up, Danny had helped him inside and then they’d laid down on the couch, just enjoying each other’s company. They’d argued a bit about what the wedding would look like. Danny had shushed him, then called his mother to tell her the good news. And that must’ve been when Steve had crashed.</p><p>“Danny?” Steve called, running a hand over his face. He couldn’t believe how tired he was. All he’d done for days was rest. Rest and sleep, and then rest some more.</p><p>Danny walked into the room and held up his hand, signalling that he was on the phone. “No, no, Bridget. No, I proposed to him,” Danny said into the phone, with a smile at Steve, “Well yes, but that doesn’t matter.”</p><p>Steve frowned and pointed at Danny, asking quietly, “Are you still on the same call?”</p><p>Danny nodded at him and pulled the phone off his ear for a moment to respond, “Yeah, mom’s doing Christmas in July.”</p><p>“It’s August,” Steve pointed out.</p><p>Danny rolled his eyes at him, then looked into the distance for a moment, clearly thinking about whatever his sister was telling him. He wondered back into the dining room, but Steve could still hear him talking, “Of course you’re invited, you all are. And as for the other thing, I don’t know, okay? It’s not something we’ve discussed.”</p><p>Steve huffed, instantly regretting it as he pulled at his stitches again. He slowly got to his feet and went into the kitchen to make some coffee. He kept his ears trained on Danny, trying to figure out what information he was getting pumped for.</p><p>“Yeah, I guess so,” Danny responded to his sister, then paused, before exclaiming, “Okay, yes! So sue me! And no! What’s the matter with you?! No, if we do this, it’ll be our way.”</p><p>Steve frowned, getting Danny’s attention to see if his partner – no, his <i>fiancée</i> - wanted a coffee. Steve couldn’t help the goofy grin appearing on his face as he thought about that. He couldn’t believe he was now dating and was <i>engaged</i> to Danny.</p><p>“Hang on, Bridget, I think Steve’s broken. Hey! What’s the matter with you?” Danny asked him, then he returned his grin. “Hey Bridget, I’ll call you back later, okay? I’ve gotta go. Send my love to everyone.” Danny rolled his eyes at Steve, then laughed at something his sister had said, “Yep, okay, I’ll ask him. Love you too, bye.”</p><p>“What was that about?” Steve asked.</p><p>Danny chuckled and shook his head, “Bridget said we should have a child together.”</p><p>Steve laughed, then sidled closer to his fiancée, “Well, I’m willing to give it a go if you are.”</p><p>“Come here,” Danny responded, pulling Steve closer by his shirt. Their lips met softly and someone moaned. </p><p>Steve slipped his hands under Danny shirt, ghosting his hands over Danny’s skin. Danny licked Steve’s lips and pushed his tongue inside the warm heat of Steve’s mouth. The reaction was instantaneous, Steve pulled Danny’s body even closer and pushed his groin into Danny’s.</p><p>“Mmm,” Danny groaned, then pulled back and stared at Steve. “Bed?” he asked huskily.</p><p>“Yeah,” Steve answered breathlessly, letting Danny drag him along to the staircase. “Wait, Danny, uh…” he said, looking dubiously at the stairs, then chuckled, “I mean, we could go upstairs <i>or</i> we could make ourselves comfortable in the guestroom.”</p><p>Danny frowned at him and took his foot off the first step, “What are you talking about?”</p><p>Steve smiled and leant down to press a brief kiss against his lips, “I’m saying I only have the energy to either go upstairs, or you know, make a baby with you.”</p><p>“Oh,” Danny uttered as he realised what Steve was telling him, then appeared to think it over, “Yeah, I uh, I think we could use the guestroom.”</p><p>“Yeah, thought so,” Steve responded.</p><p>“Lead the way, Romeo,” Danny told him.</p><p>Steve grinned and captured Danny’s lips again. If he hadn’t been injured, he would have carried Danny to the bed. The thought alone was enough of a turn on for Steve. He walked backwards, taking his mouth of Danny for a moment to get rid of the other man’s shirt.</p><p>Danny shivered as he lost his shirt, following Steve as they slowly made their way to the guestroom. He tried to do the same to Steve, but they had to stop when the fabric caught on Steve’s dressing.</p><p>“Ow, slowly,” Steve grumbled at him.</p><p>“Stop moving,” Danny grouched back at him, “You’re all arms and legs.”</p><p>Steve snorted, “You love it. Hey, watch it, Danny!”</p><p>Danny chuckled as he finally got Steve’s shirt off, “Sorry.”</p><p>Steve grumbled, “You’re going to pay for that.” </p><p>Danny was saved from responding when Steve pressed his lips against his. Danny groaned, following the lips as Steve started moving backwards again. Thankfully, they made it to the guestroom without further incident.</p><p>Steve backed up to the bed and flopped down, then gasped and rocketed back up again, nearly bumping his head against Danny’s when he followed him down.</p><p>“You okay?” Danny asked with concern.</p><p>Steve nodded, breathlessly. “Just a minute,” he panted.</p><p>“Do you uh, do you need help getting out of your pants?” Danny asked.</p><p>Steve snorted, but nodded again. Danny smiled and took Steve’s boots off, then undid Steve’s pants. Steve lifted his hips and let Danny slide his pants and boxers off.</p><p>“Steve,” Danny groaned as he looked at Steve’s cock for the first time. He licked his lips and ran a finger along Steve’s length.</p><p>“Danny,” Steve gasped, bucking his hips.</p><p>Danny grinned and looked up at Steve through his lashes, “You like that?”</p><p>“Danny,” Steve groaned, it was clear he wanted more from Danny.</p><p>Danny chuckled and wrapped his hand around Steve and slowly started stroking him. He watched with fascination as Steve’s cock went from semi-erect to hard and leaking. By the time he was done, Steve was panting and shaking from arousal. That’s when Danny leant forward and swiped his tongue over the head of Steve’s cock.</p><p>“God, Danny,” Steve moaned, “If you don’t get up here soon, you’re gonna miss the main event.”</p><p>“Make some room then, babe,” Danny responded.</p><p>Steve shifted backwards and slowly lay down. Danny divested himself of his pants and followed Steve back. He planted his hands on either side of Steve’s shoulders and lowered himself onto Steve so their cocks lined up. He captured Steve’s mouth and started thrusting against Steve.</p><p>Steve groaned into the kiss and wrapped his hands around Danny’s body to grab his ass. He squeezed the round cheeks, then pushed a finger between them. Danny rumbled in pleasure and sat back a bit to allow better access.</p><p>“Steve,” Danny gasped, as Steve’s finger breached his hole, “Uh, you got lube?”</p><p>“Bedside table,” Steve panted back at him.</p><p>Danny kissed him again then grabbed the supplies. Steve rolled over, indicating Danny should lie down. Danny flopped down and pulled his knees up to allow room for Steve, which made Steve grin in pleasure. He poured a generous amount of lube over Danny’s hole, then pushed his finger inside again.</p><p>Danny groaned and pulled Steve down to kiss him. Steve grunted, then pulled back.</p><p>“Steve?” Danny asked uncertainly.</p><p>Steve shook his head, “Stitches.”</p><p>Danny sighed, which turned into another groan when Steve added another finger. Danny lost himself in the sensations as Steve finger fucked him. He added another finger, making Danny arch off the bed.</p><p>“I’m ready,” Danny told him, “I’m ready, I’m ready.”</p><p>“ ‘kay,” Steve gasped, pulling his fingers out to roll a condom over himself. Danny groaned at the loss and waited impatiently for Steve to line himself up. “Ready?” Steve asked.</p><p>“I just said I am,” Danny grumbled, jerking himself whilst he waited.</p><p>Steve laughed and shook his head lovingly at his fiancée. He pushed himself in, stopping only when he bottomed out. He leant down and licked Danny’s lips. The position tugged at his stitches again, so he readjusted, but it made it worse. He gasped in pain and straightened up.</p><p>“Babe?” Danny asked.</p><p>“I’m fine,” Steve mumbled, then thrust into Danny’s body. But the movement caused searing pain to shoot through his side. He grunted and stopped moving.</p><p>“You’re not fine,” Danny told him, studying his face, “Here, switch positions.”</p><p>Steve lay down and grinned at Danny as the man slowly lowered himself onto his cock. It was an intense image, and Steve felt like he’d blow from that alone. </p><p>When Danny was seated, he leant forward and attempted to suck Steve’s brains out through his mouth. Then he was moving. Steve moaned and thrusted into the sweet, warmth of Danny’s body, but quickly realised that was a bad idea. He let Danny drive the pace, only contributing by jacking Danny’s cock.</p><p>Suddenly, Steve’s side exploded in pain and he couldn’t stop crying out.</p><p>“Steven?!” Danny asked.</p><p>“Knee,” Steve gasped, tapping Danny’s knee, which was brushing against his wound.</p><p>“Oh god, sorry! Sorry,” Danny exclaimed, quickly moving his knee.</p><p>“S’okay,” Steve panted.</p><p>“No, it’s not,” Danny responded, climbing off of Steve, “This was a bad idea, we should just wait until you’ve recovered.”</p><p>“Danny, if you give me blue balls, I’m divorcing you,” Steve panted, wiping the sweat off his face with his hand.</p><p>“We’re not married yet, Steven,” Danny pointed out.</p><p>“Quickest marriage in history,” Steve responded, then sat up, “We could try standing? It only hurts when I engage my abs, or you know, breathe.”</p><p>Danny chuckled, then shook his head, “That’s problematic.”</p><p>“Hop up on the table,” Steve told him, slowly getting up from the bed.</p><p>Danny perched himself on the edge of the table and spread his legs. Steve grinned and stroked himself as he walked over. Danny wrapped his legs around Steve as he stood in front of him, but Steve shook his head and gingerly held his side.</p><p>“That’s not going to work,” Steve told him.</p><p>Danny grumbled, but got off the table and turned around. He braced himself against the table and looked at Steve over shoulder, “What about now?”</p><p>Steve snorted, but pushed himself into Danny’s body again. They both gasped at the sensations.</p><p>“I think I can manage like this,” Steve panted.</p><p>“Thank God,” Danny muttered, “Would you move already?”</p><p>Steve thrust his hips experimentally. He could still feel the tug of his stitches, but it was nothing like before. He adjusted his angle until Danny gave the tell-tale gasp that meant he’d found Danny prostrate, then he increased his pace. Danny started moaning continuously, then devolved into Italian. </p><p>“Danny,” Steve gasped as he felt need rise within him, “I’m… I’m so close.”</p><p>Danny clenched himself around Steve and jacked himself faster. “Fuck,” he muttered, then he gasped and his hips stuttered as he released his seed all over the table, “Steve!!!”</p><p>“Danny!” Steve grunted, thrusting into the tight, hot heat of Danny’s body. He gasped as his climax was ripped from him and suddenly he was coming deep inside Danny.</p><p>Steve plastered himself against Danny’s back as he tried to regain his breath.</p><p>“You ‘kay?” Danny asked him. </p><p>“I need to sit down,” Steve murmured, pulling himself out of Danny.</p><p>Danny led him back to the bed, “Take a seat.”</p><p>Steve did as he was told, watching as Danny went to get a washcloth. “Thanks, Danno,” Steve muttered as the man cleaned up.</p><p>“Don’t mention it,” Danny responded, then chucked the cloth on the ground and nudged him up the bed. </p><p>Steve let himself be manipulated until he was lying down, with Danny’s head on his chest – on the good side. He was suddenly exhausted, the events from the last few days catching up to him in a matter of seconds.</p><p>“Love you, Danno,” he murmured, closing his eyes.</p><p>“I know,” Danny responded, “Go to sleep, Steven.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you liked it! Let me know what you thought! :)</p><p>Thanks again to Phoebe!</p><p>Oh, and no, this isn't an Mpreg fic - just in case there's any confusion.</p><p>Only one to go! I promise the next one will be released sooner - sorry for the delay!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0031"><h2>31. Chapter 31</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Steve woke up to someone knocking at the door. He frowned in confusion, he wasn’t expecting anyone. Moreover, he wasn’t expecting someone at whatever you called this time of the night. </p>
<p>“Someone’s at the door,” he told the blonde head that was laying on his chest.</p>
<p>“It’s your house, babe,” the hair responded, then rolled off him.</p>
<p>“What happened to everything that’s mine is yours?” Steve asked as he slowly got to his feet.</p>
<p>“Mmmm,” Danny said eloquently, then mumbled, “We’re not married yet.”</p>
<p>Steve shook his head at his partner and searched through the mess of clothing on the ground until he found something to wear. He slipped on his boxers, but couldn’t find a shirt. He grumbled and detoured to the laundry to grab one, carefully pulling it over his head as he went to the door.</p>
<p>He opened the door and was stunned to find that the sun was shining outside. He squinted through the glare to see Lou on his doorstep, holding a carton of Longboards.</p>
<p>Lou chuckled at him, “Aw, did I wake you up sunshine?”</p>
<p>Steve cleared his throat and stepped back to let Lou into the house, “Nah, I ah, you know,” he responded, waving his hand around to indicate ‘things’, “Anyway, what are you doing here?”</p>
<p>Lou stepped over a t-shirt that had been abandoned in the hallway and headed for the kitchen, “Oh, I was in the neighbourhood.”</p>
<p>“Lou,” Steve said in a tone that said he didn’t believe him. He picked up the discarded shirt and put it on the stairs, hoping Lou wouldn’t make a big deal about it.</p>
<p>Lou grinned as he started putting the Longboards in the fridge, “What? Can’t a guy just swing by and have a beer or two with a friend?”</p>
<p>“Sure,” Steve answered, “A beer or two, you brought a case.”</p>
<p>“He must be a thirsty man,” Danny remarked, coming out of the guest room in only a pair of jeans. He threw Steve’s pants at Steve, which he deftly caught. Then Danny made grabby hands at Lou for a Longboards.</p>
<p>“Thirsty’s one word for it,” Steve muttered under his breath as he struggled into his pants, ignoring Lou’s knowing look.</p>
<p>“Need a hand, babe?” Danny asked, going over to help.</p>
<p>“I got it,” Steve responded.</p>
<p>Danny smirked at him and picked up the other discarded shirt off the floor. Before Lou could say anything about their state of undress, there was another knock on the door.</p>
<p>“You invite some friends, Lou?” Steve asked as he went to the door.</p>
<p>“Would I do that?” he heard Lou answer.</p>
<p>“Yes,” Danny replied.</p>
<p>Steve smiled and opened the door to find Tani and Junior on his doorstep. He stepped back and waved his arm to indicate they should come in. “Well, isn’t this a surprise? I guess you were in the neighbourhood too, huh?” Steve asked.</p>
<p>“Oh, you didn’t tell him yet?” Tani asked Lou.</p>
<p>“I thought we agreed not to say anything and let them guess,” Lou responded.</p>
<p>“Let us guess what?” Danny asked.</p>
<p>“Well you see, when someone has a building fall on top of them, not once, but twice, they have to host a team dinner,” Tani responded, looking at Steve with a straight face, giving nothing away.</p>
<p>“Is that right?” Steve asked, looking from Tani to Junior.</p>
<p>“Yes, Sir,” Junior answered.</p>
<p>“Yeah, actually, that does ring a bell,” Danny suddenly put his two-cents worth in – and Steve was happy to note that the man was now fully dressed, “I remember hearing that.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, it’s a thing,” Tani added, then announced, “We brought a green salad and a pasta salad, just in case you want more carbs.”</p>
<p>“Can’t go wrong with more carbs,” Danny said, handing Steve a Longboards as Tani and Junior mingled with Lou in the kitchen. “So uh, we haven’t discussed what to tell them,” he said in a low tone so only Steve would hear him.</p>
<p>“We’re engaged, Daniel, I don’t think we’ll be able to hide it long,” Steve answered in a matching tone.</p>
<p>Danny smiled when Steve said <i>engaged</i>. He nodded, then looked up at Steve, “Do you want to hide it?”</p>
<p>“No, Danno, I love you and I want the whole world to know,” Steve responded.</p>
<p>“You’re such a sap,” Danny told him, then leant forward to place a chaste kiss against his lips.</p>
<p>Catcalls and wolf-whistles sounded as Danny leant back, and Danny and Steve couldn’t help but grin at each other.</p>
<p>“Now who’s a sap?” Steve asked.</p>
<p>But before the man could answer, there was another knock on the door. Steve opened it to find Sam and Dave there.</p>
<p>“We haven’t missed the party, have we?” Dave asked.</p>
<p>“Nah man, just getting started,” Steve replied, then turned to Sam who was holding enough pizza boxes to feed the island, “Need some help?”</p>
<p>“He can’t be helped,” Dave said with a laugh.</p>
<p>“Hey, I’ve got it,” Danny said, moving past Steve to take some of the boxes from Sam.</p>
<p>“Thanks mate,” Sam said to Danny, then gave Dave an exaggerated eye-roll, “At least some people are willing to give a hand to a guy in need.”</p>
<p>“I told you, I have a once-a-day limit for that,” Dave replied with a laugh.</p>
<p>Steve shook his head, “We don’t need to hear about your love life.”</p>
<p>“You’re right, we’d rather hear about yours,” Sam responded, following Danny and his partner inside.</p>
<p>“Hold the door!” Jerry’s voice called out before Steve closed it.</p>
<p>Steve opened the door and watched Jerry half-jog to him, “Afternoon, Jerry, I take it you’re here for the party.”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Jerry answered breathlessly, then showed him the tubs of Ben and Jerries “I got told not to bring anything, but I couldn’t do that, so I brought ice-cream.” </p>
<p>Steve chuckled and took the tubs when Jerry offered them to him, “Come on in.”</p>
<p>“Thanks,” Jerry responded, then migrated to the noise.</p>
<p>“Hey Lou!” Steve called.</p>
<p>“Hey McGarrett!” Lou called back, smiling at him.</p>
<p>“We expecting anyone else?” Steve asked.</p>
<p>“Just Janet, but she said she’ll be late, so start without her,” Lou responded.</p>
<p>Steve nodded and finally closed the door again. He caught Danny’s eye and smiled at him, now seemed like as good a time as any. Danny seemed to read his mind, jumping up on to a conveniently located dining chair and whistling to get everyone’s attention. “Hey, hey, everyone!” he called, waving his arms in the air like a moron until the room quietened down.</p>
<p>Danny got off the chair and joined Steve. Steve’s smile got wider as he thought about what he wanted to say…well, better start at the beginning… “Okay uh, you’re probably wondering why we called you here tonight – ”</p>
<p>“You didn’t!” Lou interrupted, “We invited ourselves!”</p>
<p>The group laughed. Steve nodded in agreement, “You’re right, Lou, of course. I mean, we have an announcement to make – ”</p>
<p>“You’re pregnant!” Jerry called out, shortly before Tani called, “Yeah, you alive!”</p>
<p>“Uh, well no, Jerry, as much as Danny probably wishes it were true, we’re not on the set of Enemy Mine,” Steve answered.</p>
<p>“Hey, don’t do that, that is a cinematic masterpiece,” Danny argued.</p>
<p>“A masterpiece? Daniel, a guy can’t give birth, I don’t care what planet you’re from,” Steve replied.</p>
<p>“That was a very moving scene, Steven, the – ”</p>
<p>“Gentlemen!” Lou called, “You were saying?”</p>
<p>“Right,” Steve said, then cleared his throat and glanced at Danny, “Uh, well we’re getting married.”</p>
<p>There was a chorus of more wolf-whistles and catcalls from their audience. “Yeah, I proposed to him on the beach,” Danny added.</p>
<p>“Hey! What are you doing?” Steve asked, eying his fiancée, “You said you wouldn’t do that. And uh, I mean, I proposed first.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, in the hospital. That doesn’t count, Steven!” Danny exclaimed.</p>
<p>“How does that not count?” Steve asked, “I got down on one knee and I said the words, what about that doesn’t count? Huh?”</p>
<p>“You’re such an animal,” Danny said.</p>
<p>“I’ll show you animal,” Steve replied, with a smirk.</p>
<p>“Okay! Who wants pizza?!” Tani called, short-circuiting the discussion.</p>
<p>The group filed through the kitchen, stocking up their plates, then went outside to eat. Conversation flowed freely and everyone was having a good time. </p>
<p>Steve carefully lowered himself into the seat beside Sam and watched everyone mingling, “You going back soon?”</p>
<p>Sam took a sip of his beer, before responding, “The airline was happy to delay my flight to LA as long as I wanted, but I still want to see my brother. It’s been a while since I’ve seen him. Dave’s coming with me, I don’t think I’ll be getting rid of him anytime soon.”</p>
<p>Steve grinned, “Yeah, I don’t think so. You should come work for me at Five-0 when you return. You’d make a good cop.”</p>
<p>Sam shook his head, “Nah man. I mean, I appreciate the offer, I really do, but our lives are in Australia. I’ve still got a couple of years left with the Army too.”</p>
<p>Steve nodded, “Well, maybe when your time’s up?”</p>
<p>“Sure, yeah maybe,” Sam responded, “It’d be good to do something different. And Dave would love to live here.”</p>
<p>“You could try to get one of those liaison officer roles with the Army here, right?” Steve asked.</p>
<p>Sam laughed, “Yeah maybe, but I don’t think they have any in my line of work, if you know what I mean.”</p>
<p>Steve shrugged, “Then go out-of-mustering. Surely they let you do those Any-Officer roles for a posting?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know, man, I wouldn’t want to be stuck in an office, counting pens and get pudgy like you,” Sam said.</p>
<p>“Who are you calling pudgy?!” Steve exclaimed, “This is all muscle.”</p>
<p>Sam laughed and Steve joined in. “For real though, man, if you got a transfer here, I’d get you working up at Five-0.”</p>
<p>“Mahalo,” Sam said, then added, “But I mean, maybe I wanna start an Australian Five-0.”</p>
<p>“Nah buddy, it’s not Five-0 without me,” Steve answered.</p>
<p>Sam snorted, “Fine, you and Danny come to Sydney and make an Australian Five-0.”</p>
<p>Steve was saved from responding when the doorbell rang. “We’ll finish this conversation later, okay?” he said to Sam.</p>
<p>“Count on it,” Sam responded.</p>
<p>Steve smiled as he walked to the door, he expected Renee would be there and hopefully she would have some of that amazing cheesecake she’d made last time. But when he opened the door, he was surprised to find Rachel there with Grace and Charlie. </p>
<p>“Uncle Steve!” Charlie shouted, racing forward to hug him.</p>
<p>“Hey buddy!” Steve responded, hugging him back. Then he patted his back, “Why don’t you go find Danno, he’s out playing near the beach.”</p>
<p>“Hi Uncle Steve,” Grace said, giving him a wave then a quick hug.</p>
<p>“Hey Grace,” Steve replied, then turned to Rachel when the kids had left, “Hey Rachel, you okay?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, is Danny here?” Rachel asked.</p>
<p>“Yeah, of course, come on in,” Steve responded, letting her into the house.</p>
<p>“Rachel!” Danny called, coming in front the backyard, “Is everything okay?”</p>
<p>Steve crossed his arms and leant against the wall, realising that no matter what his relationship was with Danny, Rachel would always be a part of their lives. It wasn’t that he resented her, it was more of an understanding that Rachel would always hold a special place in Danny’s heart.</p>
<p>“I’m pregnant, Danny,” Rachel told him.</p>
<p>“What?” Danny asked, glancing at Steve momentarily, “What are you talking about? Why – It can’t be mine, we haven’t – ”</p>
<p>“No, Danny. Of course it’s not yours, that would be biologically impossible. No, it’s Stan’s,” Rachel interrupted.</p>
<p>“Huh. Uh, okay,” Danny replied, then huffed out a laugh, “God, you are incredibly fertile.”</p>
<p>“That’s not funny, Daniel!” Rachel exclaimed, giving him a small shove, “I don’t know what to do.”</p>
<p>“I know, I’m sorry. It’s just, it’s been a stressful few days,” Danny responded.</p>
<p>“Can I get you anything, Rachel?” Steve asked, “Water? Pizza? Salad?”</p>
<p>It seemed to be then that it clicked that there were more people at Steve’s place than normal. “Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry, I didn’t realise there was a – ” she started. Steve took that as his cue to grab a bottle of water from the kitchen.</p>
<p>“Relax, Rachel, just breathe,” Danny coaxed, “Come take a seat, huh?”</p>
<p>But when Danny helped her to a chair, Rachel noticed that Danny was wearing his wedding ring and started backing back out. “I should really go, Danny,” she said.</p>
<p>“Rachel, hey, take this,” Steve said gently, handing her the bottle of water.</p>
<p>Rachel gratefully took the bottle, but took Steve’s hand too. She stared at the band on his wedding finger for a moment, then looked at Danny’s again, “Oh.”</p>
<p>Steve put his hand back to his side, feeling uncomfortable with the whole situation. Danny glanced at him again and shrugged, then asked Rachel, “Was that a good ‘oh’?”</p>
<p>Then, thankfully, Rachel’s face morphed into a genuine smile, “Yes, it is. Sorry, I was just surprised. Congratulations.”</p>
<p>As she hugged Danny, he felt compelled to tell her, “I proposed to him.”</p>
<p>“I proposed first,” Steve said, accepting the hug that Rachel offered.</p>
<p>“Forget about him, he didn’t do it properly,” Danny told Rachel, “Come on, everyone’s out the back.”</p>
<p>“What do you mean, I didn’t do it properly?” Steve asked, bumping Danny’s shoulder as they led the way back to the party.</p>
<p>“I mean, a proposal has to be done in the right place, at the right time. In the hospital, after you’ve just recovered from a near-death experience, is certainly not the right place, nor is it the right time. What’s the matter with you? Did you grow up in the wilderness? Huh?” Danny asked, grasping Steve’s hand as they walked.</p>
<p>“Well I say it’s the perfect place and the perfect time! What better time to do it after you nearly died?” Steve argued.</p>
<p>“You are a Neanderthal animal!” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________</p>
<p>FIN!</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you liked it! Let me know what you thought!</p>
<p>Thanks again to Phoebe!</p>
<p>And yes, this concludes this fic! There may be a sequel later on down the track, but who knows. I have so many other fics I want to send out into the ether first :P</p>
<p>Thanks again for sharing this journey with me, it's been real!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>